Quiet Quitting or Setting Boundaries? What the Latest Work Trend Really Means
The Rise of “Quiet Quitting“
The term “quiet quitting” has taken the internet by storm, sparking countless debates about work-life balance, employee engagement, and the very nature of a job. But is this new phenomenon really about quitting on the sly, or is it simply a rebranding of an age-old concept: setting boundaries?
Understanding the Context
The pandemic and its aftermath ushered in a period of significant change in the workplace. Remote work blurred the lines between personal and professional lives, often leading to longer hours and burnout. Employees, feeling increasingly overworked and underappreciated, began to question the expectation of going “above and beyond.”
Enter “quiet quitting” – a term often attributed to a TikTok video that went viral. It describes the act of doing the bare minimum at work, no longer subscribing to the “hustle culture” mentality. While some view it as a negative trend, indicative of disengagement and apathy, others see it as a necessary response to toxic work environments and unrealistic expectations.
