What Is 'Quiet Quitting'... Why Are MZ Generation So Enthusiastic? [Jjin Beat]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] 'Quiet quitting. Work is not your life. Your value is not defined by your productive output.'

On the 25th of last month (local time), a video was uploaded on TikTok, a global short-form mobile video platform. In this video posted by the user Zaidur Flynn, a man wearing a sky-blue T-shirt is sitting on a bench at a New York subway station, displaying the phrase "Quiet quitting" on the screen and introducing it as "stopping the thought that you have to go further at work (professionally)." It conveys the meaning of doing only your share of work and focusing on your current life instead of being stressed by competition and obsessing over work performance.

Screenshot of a TikTok video posted by the user zaidleppelin

Below this video, the hashtag #workreform was left. Within a month of the video being posted, it surpassed 4.8 million views and received 4,500 comments. Famous TikTokers mentioned this video, and additional videos interpreting its meaning appeared one after another on TikTok. Quiet quitting became a trend among the American MZ generation. Major media outlets such as The Washington Post (WP), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), CNN, and The Guardian also paid attention to this phenomenon.

Zaid Khan, a 24-year-old American software developer and musician who posted the video, said in an interview with Bloomberg News on the 20th, "I realized that no matter how much work I do, I won't be compensated as much as I expect," and pointed out, "Overwork in many structured corporate environments puts mental and physical health behind productivity." He later quit his job to find a new boss who could help him establish boundaries between his life and work.

◆ Why is it trending... Due to burnout after the pandemic

Quiet quitting is a concept opposite to the 'hustle culture,' which involves pouring all time and effort into work to achieve goals. Although the word itself contains "quitting," which might imply resignation, it more strongly means that workers who have experienced burnout prioritize their lives more and distance themselves from work and the workplace. It is also an expression that surfaced from complaints and pressure about working excessively without additional pay. WP analyzed it as "knowledge workers of the MZ generation fighting for changes in the work environment."

In a survey conducted among workers worldwide, the response rate indicating stress reached an all-time high of 44% in 2021. (Source of table = Gallup)

This year, the proportion of workers worldwide experiencing stress from work reached an all-time high. According to a survey conducted by global polling agency Gallup targeting employees from 112,312 companies in 96 countries, 44% of workers worldwide reported feeling stressed last year, the highest ever recorded. While the rates of worry, anger, or sadness during work decreased compared to 2020, the level of stress actually increased. The rise in burnout is attributed to significant changes related to work, such as the Great Resignation movement and the expansion of remote work after COVID-19.

Especially among the American MZ generation, where the quiet quitting trend is strong, the sense of engagement with their companies is significantly low. According to Gallup's survey, only 31% of MZ generation workers born after 1989 felt a sense of belonging in the first quarter, marking an all-time low, reported The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Jim Harter, Gallup's Chief Scientist for Workplace and Well-being Research, evaluated that workers mentioning quiet quitting align with respondents who say they come to work but do the minimum amount of work and do not feel a sense of belonging to their workplace.

Last year in China, the word "Tangping (?平)," which means "lying flat and doing nothing," became popular on the internet.

In fact, a similar term to quiet quitting had previously trended among the MZ generation. The term "Tangping (?平)" that became popular among young people in China last year is a representative example. This term means "lying flat and doing nothing," based on the perception that life does not improve despite all efforts, and it describes a state of living with minimal desires without trying harder. It was so popular that it was selected as one of China's top internet terms last year. Seeing a similar term with a comparable meaning trending in the U.S. a year later suggests that this situation is common worldwide.

CNN noted that such terms existed even in the 1990s and analyzed that the reason this term is trending now is due to socio-economic changes in work after the pandemic. With the spread of remote work, the boundary between work and life has become blurred, leading to differences in how the MZ generation understands work. Additionally, millennials who entered the workforce during economic downturns are now, amid the Great Resignation era, alleviating job insecurity for the first time and using it to express confidence, CNN interpreted.

◆ "Is setting boundaries between work and life really a quiet matter?"

While the quiet quitting trend helps understand the mindset of the MZ generation, criticism arises that the term itself is inappropriate. The meaning ultimately is about creating a proper boundary between work and life, but the negative connotation of the word may lead to the perception that setting boundaries between work and life is wrong. Doing the tasks outlined in the work contract is normal, but this term might make it seem that doing more than that is normal and doing only the assigned tasks is exceptional.

Rahaf Haroush, an anthropologist studying digital work and life forms, recently told Bloomberg News, "The term quiet quitting expresses the internal conflict people face when setting boundaries between work and life, and it carries the implication that this itself is shameful." She pointed out that workers still idealize sacrificing themselves to meet expectations even when overworked to the point of illness or burnout.

Experts on organizational culture view the negative and pessimistic implications of the term as undesirable not only for companies but also for society and young workers. From a corporate perspective, employee engagement and satisfaction inevitably decline, and socially, it becomes a factor that reduces growth momentum. When the term Tangping trended in China last November, President Xi Jinping personally emphasized the need to avoid Tangpingism, which is interpreted as a measure considering the social damage.

Michelle Hay, Global Chief People Officer (CPO) of Sezwick, told WP, "(Quiet quitting) means more than just setting boundaries," adding, "It reflects the exhaustion many feel as the pandemic is nearly over. People are re-evaluating their priorities, and some of this may lead to social disconnection."

Tanya Dalton, a productivity expert based in Asheville, North Carolina, told Fox News, "Simply deciding to give up and quietly quit means missing opportunities to do your job well or succeed. Not enjoying work or losing purpose causes one to step back," and added, "It is better to take a more proactive approach to your career than to passively quietly quit behind the boundary."

◆ "Conduct pre-interviews with employees and review work methods"

Experts say that companies and employers need to actively respond to prevent employees from quietly quitting like this. Various measures such as encouraging vacation use have been suggested, but here we introduce a lecture by Adam Grant, a renowned organizational psychology professor and the youngest tenured professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, given on the 16th about how to prevent toxic workplace culture and burnout. He said, "As opportunities to work from anywhere in the world arise, it is becoming increasingly difficult to retain people."

Adam Grant, Professor of Organizational Psychology at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA

According to the U.S. economic media Business Insider, Professor Grant proposed three methods. First, instead of conducting interviews just before employees resign, conduct them in advance. He emphasized that employers should meet employees to understand why they joined the company, why they continue to stay, and whether there are any causes triggering turnover. Professor Grant added that simply asking employees for honest feedback makes it difficult for them to speak comfortably, so it is important to show that you are ready to accept such evaluations.

After receiving employee feedback, Professor Grant advised reviewing existing work methods. Employers should share ideas with employees at least twice a year to examine whether the work methods they considered best are still appropriate. He also noted the importance of recognizing employees' mental health in work and limiting their time spent on emails or video meetings. Lastly, he advised instilling the perception that employees' sense of belonging is linked to the company's purpose, as this has positive effects for both the company and employees.

Editor's Note[Jjinbit] is short for 'Jeong Hyunjin's Business Trend' and 'Real Business Trend,' a corner that showcases trends in corporate management such as organizational culture and HR systems. Based on analyses from foreign media and major overseas institutions that have not received much attention so far, we will deliver fresh and differentiated information and perspectives.