Quiet quitting does not involve quitting your job, even though it may be assumed from the title. It is about setting boundaries and saying no to the extra work and no to the extra stress. It is making the decision to no longer go above and only do what is described in a job description. Employees believe that this approach helps to prevent burnouts, but it may be doing more harm than good for your career.
The Good
Before we list all of the cons of quiet quitting, there is one benefit that may outweigh the negatives. The biggest benefit of quiet quitting is avoiding burnout. You may have been overworked for years, especially during the COVID pandemic and you have had enough. If you feel like you are going to have a breakdown, doing the minimum work required of you may provide some relief. However, you may want to speak with your employer, instead of blindsiding them. Keeping the communication open will help avoid the downfalls of quiet quitting including a possible termination.
The Bad
Termination
If you are an employee-at-will, and most employees are, you can be fired for any reason other than that protected by law (i.e. discrimination). So, if your employer thinks that you are not doing the work expected of you, even if it is more than that listed in your job description, you can be fired. If there are other employees in the same position/pay grade that are not being overworked, and you feel that you are being discriminated against because of your age, race, pregnancy, etc., speak with an employment attorney.
Promotions
If you are looking to move up the corporate ladder, quiet quitting can hurt that chance. Even if you are using quiet quitting is a temporary solution, your performance may go down in your permanent record. You may change that good impression you previously made and it will be hard to get back. If you are up against a co-worker for the promotion and your co-worker has always gone above and beyond, your co-worker will most likely receive the promotion.
Salary Increases / Bonuses
Even if you are not up for a promotion, employers do offer higher salary increases and/or bonuses to those employees that go above and beyond. If you are a good employee, your employer will want to do what they can to keep you. If you are a mediocre employee, you will most likely be overlooked for that pay raise or bonus. Talk to your employer about a pay raise if you are exceeding expectations before you decide to quiet quit. Feeling like you are getting paid for what you are worth may keep you from quiet quitting.
Future References
If you think there is a possibility that you will leave the company you work for in the future, you should think about what type of reference they will give your new employer. Quit quitting could leave a bad impression with your employer and can hurt your chances of getting a new job in the future.
The bottom line is that employers are catching on to quit quitting and it can put your job and career in jeopardy. If you feel that you are about to have a breakdown, the best thing to do is to speak with your employer to come up with a solution.
The words and other content provided in the blog, and in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as professional advice (please read the Terms and Conditions for additional information).