Quiet quitting - a bludge by any other name

I'm in the mood to write, so here's some of my thoughts on what people call 'quiet quitting'.

This is not new of course. In blue collar circles if you can lean on your shovel for half the time you're using it, one would say - 'it's a good bludge if you can get it'.

If you're reading this outside of Australia or NZ, it's important to understand what a bludger is, or what it is to bludge -

Bludge - to goof?off,?avoid?work;?sponge.

Simply put, quiet quitting is the bludge for white collar workers.

So, let's investigate this. Let's go back to 2019 and see how we arrived at quiet quitting, or as we'll call it, the big bludge. Back then companies were pulling out all the stops to get the very best people onboard. They offered in-house baristas, free Friday drinks, gourmet lunches, table tennis and a sabbatical called, '(Insert Your Favourite Charity Here) Day'.

This all changed in early 2020 when staff were told to work from home. Overnight, single origin became International Roast (for that extra kick), and gourmet lunches became two minute noodles over the kitchen sink with a crying baby.

Some people moved interstate (especially in my home of Victoria) while others choose the tree or sea change. But, it was totally justified wasn't it? The media told us for months on end that nothing would be the same again!!!

Back in 2019, when employees wanted their work to have meaning, like the game of Musical Chairs, companies rushed to build their marketability, one tree at a time.

Overnight, in March 2020, employees didn't care anymore.

They replaced saving the world for being safe, avoiding human interaction, and staying home with the family... in their pyjamas... watching Netflix... with a mask on.

What they didn't realise, was they now had the lifestyle their boss could only dream of.

But with the benefit of working from home, came the added pressure of preforming at a higher level, and like a young wolf who suddenly has to lead the pack, many have not handled the pressures of anxiety, overworking and isolation, and a raft of negative emotions have flooded into the workforce.

It's a natural response for this to happen. For example, when people leave the workforce to start their own business, they often experience guilt and isolation. It can take business owners years to overcome these fears.

The 80% in our workforce are not the lead wolf, and they were never meant to take on these responsibilities. The best thing we could do for these people is get them back into the office and have them interact with others... and don't underestimate the value of the commute. People complain about it, but the commute gives the day a direction and a purpose.

Now that long Covid is no longer a reason to bludge, and people have been told to get back in the office (before the Victorian election in November), employers can once again copy and paste their 2019 Seek Ad copy, touting their in-house baristas, Friday free drinks, gourmet lunches, table tennis tournaments and charity sabbaticals.

For staff to feel better about going into the office again, they would do well to convince themselves these reasons to interact gives their life meaning. Because friendship and laughter in the workplace does change the world. One person at a time.

To sell it, let's create a new buzz word... let's call it the 'New Normal'.

Happy Days.