A Contrary Opinion About Quiet Quitters

There is a lot being written about “quiet quitting.” They’re not talking about employees who aren’t doing their jobs, which would seem to me to be the real quiet quitters. No, they’re talking about employees who don’t want to “go the extra mile” & “give extra effort.”

Why isn’t it enough to do a job and do it well? Why should employees be expected to come in early & work late? How does this fit with the need to have balance in our lives & not to be consumed with work? Wasn’t that in part what the great resignation was all about?

For decades, employees have been expected to do more with less- less resources, less support, & less coworkers to share the load. The pandemic has made the situation worse. Many employees are already expected to do far more than their fair share of work. Just getting through the workday is an enormous accomplishment. They should be applauded for doing their jobs, not criticized for wanting to be done at the end of their shift.

I was an employee who went the extra mile. I came in early & worked late. I worked on weekends when my workweek was expected to end on Friday. I threw myself into my work. My productivity was over the roof.

Because everything else in my life was falling apart.

At home, I walked on eggshells, afraid of making a wrong move with an abusive husband. Work was the only place I could feel safe and somewhat in control. This had very little to do with my manager or my workplace.

I’m not disparaging the importance of managers who create positive & supportive workplaces where employees give 110%. I’ve had great managers & I’ve had terrible managers, and how they treated me had a real impact on my morale. I was happier to do my job when I had a great manager, but I still did my job when I had a terrible manager.

I just hate the fact that many employees are now describing themselves as quiet quitters. Are they doing the jobs they were hired to do? Are they meeting performance expectations? If the answer is yes to both questions, why isn’t that enough? Why are we making those employees feel less than they are?

Please let me know if you agree or disagree with my opinion.