What is quiet quitting? 5 signs and how to prevent it

Everyone has a rough day at work from time to time. Some may even fantasize about giving their two-week notice during a particularly tough project. But for “quiet quitters,” that feeling doesn’t go away. When an employee feels too exhausted, overwhelmed, and disengaged with their work, they might shy away from their duties and their colleagues. 

The phenomenon of quiet quitting is negatively impacting organizations around the world. As team sizes shrink and expectations grow, burnout is becoming more common—and so is quiet quitting.

So, what’s quiet quitting exactly, and how can your company spot it? Find out here, and learn how to retain your talent by improving your employee experience.

What is quiet quitting?

Quiet quitting, sometimes called soft quitting, is a term describing what happens when an employee checks out from their job. It’s a step some workers take to reprioritize work-life balance when the scale tips too far toward “work.”

A quiet quitter doesn’t send in their notice or otherwise clearly state their intent to leave. Instead, their behaviors speak for them: a drop in engagement and doing the bare minimum. They come into work and go through the motions, but that’s about it.

Is quiet quitting real?

Quiet quitting may be a recent phenomenon, but researchers have had time to collect and model data. The results are in, and quiet quitting is real. 

A Gallup poll from 2023 showed that over 50% of employees in the United States are quiet quitting. Newer data presents a downward trend in soft quitting, but the driving factors of frustration and disengagement—along with real quitting—continue to interfere in workplaces globally.

What causes quiet quitting? 7 causes

Quiet quitters aren’t necessarily people who didn’t like their jobs from day one, nor are they unmotivated employees prone to throwing in the towel. Anyone at any point in the employee life cycle can feel the urge to quiet quit—a feeling that usually comes from one of the following seven root causes.

1. Low engagement

Poor employee engagement is closely intertwined with quiet quitting. Engagement refers to the passion and connectedness people feel to their work, which are no longer present when someone’s mentally resigned. Sometimes, not feeling passionate about the work leads to quiet quitting, and sometimes doing the bare minimum blows out the flame for an employee. 

2. Unrealistic expectations

It’s normal for companies to want employees to attend extra meetings here and there or stay late when a deadline looms. But many onboarding processes state these extras so that there are no surprises down the road. For others, baseline expectations go above and beyond. If these asks become too extreme or consistent, employees may get tired. Questions about fair compensation might cross their minds. Resentment grows, and team members quietly quit.

3. Burnout

Burnout describes the mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion that overtasked workers feel. It’s a common experience at companies with rigorous schedules and lofty expectations. Burnt-out employees may start quietly quitting without even realizing they're doing it: They’re too tired to do anything but the bare minimum.

4. Lack of recognition

Regular recognition drives employee engagement. It comes in many forms, from quick shout-outs and kudos to bigger perks like bonuses. People feel seen and valued, and they know their hard work contributes to the company's overall success. 

When managers never take the time to recognize employees, or do so infrequently and inconsistently, staff may feel disposable and resentful. These negative feelings drive a wedge between a worker and their connection with their job, leading to a “who cares?” mentality.

5. Unclear roles

Regularly performing tasks that aren’t in an employee’s job description may quickly become frustrating and overwhelming. Perhaps the team member is taking on leadership responsibilities they’re not prepared for or that are too much pressure. Or maybe they’re covering someone’s work (or a whole department’s) without receiving compensation to match. Being put in one of these uncomfortable positions with no end in sight can push someone to quiet quit. 

6. Poor leadership

The Harvard Business Review cites poor leadership as a top reason behind quiet quitting. Managers who fail to recognize employees or clearly explain and delineate tasks and roles set their team members up for failure. Overtasking and micromanaging don’t help morale, either.

7. Toxic workplace culture

People don’t want to participate in a workplace where they feel unsafe. So, toxic workplaces often foster quiet quitting. Common traits of a toxic workplace include poor communication, a lack of inclusion, frequent conflict, and other grave issues like harassment and bullying.

The signs: 5 quiet quitting examples

Not every employee going through a rough patch at work is quiet quitting. Someone might have a lot going on outside the office or need to catch their breath after a tough project. But if you spot the following signs of quiet quitting over a long period or among multiple people on a team, it may be time to take a closer look:

• Doing the bare minimum: One of the most common signs of quiet quitting is “bare minimum” behavior: only doing what they need to not get let go. They might feel like their work doesn’t matter to the organization, so they won’t push themselves to complete it. Or they may be overworked and exhausted, so normal tasks take longer and there aren’t enough hours in the day to complete everything. 
• Social withdrawal: It’s one thing if someone can’t make Friday evening get-togethers with coworkers; it’s another if they’re snubbing their peers. Soft quitters can be short with their colleagues and actively try not to bond (after all, they already have one foot out the door). And snippy comments can degrade team morale if they get out of hand.
• Lack of participation: If a usually vocal employee is no longer contributing their ideas, they could be quiet quitting. In their checked-out state, they’re no longer eager to share thoughts and participate in the company’s projects.
• Missing deadlines: Keeping up with deadlines isn’t important to people who are no longer invested in their jobs. It might appear like quiet quitters don’t even care about the most basic requirements of their role, such as deadlines—because they don’t. For some, getting fired thanks to a late deliverable might feel like a good thing.
• Absenteeism: Some quiet quitters call in sick or invent excuses to be late. This is a more extreme behavior, but it happens among those who are completely unmotivated to go to work. 

Why businesses should pay attention to quiet quitting

Some quiet quitters may actually need an offboarding checklist in the near future, while others plan on doing as little as possible for as long as possible. When an organization has several disinterested employees, the following more systemic issues may arise:

• Reduced productivity: When people only put in minimum effort, productivity drops and projects slow. Combined with missed deadlines, it can disrupt colleague’s workflows, leading to backups and late-night rushes that can build burnout in those peers, too.
• The ripple effect: Sometimes quiet quitting spreads through an organization. If some peers put in less effort, entire teams can become less efficient and motivated. Picking up the slack for disengaged team members might lead to the same kinds of burnout that started the quiet quitting in the first place. And a soft quitter might share their resentments with colleagues, sparking discontent in others.
• Missed opportunities: Quiet quitting often reflects an issue with leadership or work environments. So, realizing that your company has a quiet-quitting problem is an opportunity to grow. Instead of blaming employees for their lack of motivation, survey people about what’s not working. Use the insights you gather to improve the company’s culture and workflows. 

4 ways to stop quiet quitting before it starts

It can be done, but it’s much more difficult to reel in an employee who’s already checked out than to keep your team happy from the start. Here are four tips on preventing quiet quitting by creating a workplace where people feel valued and motivated. 

1. Hold meaningful one-on-ones

One-on-one meetings between leaders and their direct reports keep employee engagement high. Managers can recognize the employee for their wins and provide ways to improve as needed. Maybe the manager will find that an employee who might be headed toward checking out needs better tools or training to feel confident, and leadership can provide these resources to improve the worker’s experience.

What’s more, one-on-one meetings are opportunities for employees to give feedback on everything from company culture to the workflow’s pace. In turn, the manager gains insights into how the workplace can improve so as to retain talent.

2. Track disengagement

Leverage existing performance monitoring tools and employee feedback to track disengagement. Look for drop-offs in work cadence, productivity, or quality. And use surveys to ask questions on a wide range of subjects impacting the employee experience, from communication with leadership to work-life balance. If you can anonymize it, all the better—you’ll be more likely to get honest answers.

3. Promote work-life balance and avoid burnout

Work-life balance boosts productivity and employee happiness, meaning that enforcing boundaries between work and play is a win-win for any organization. Your workforce gets to spend more time relaxing with loved ones and a little less time in the office (or online). In turn, they’re more likely to be rejuvenated, content, and excited about going to work somewhere that values balance. 

A flexible working strategy also supports people’s mental and physical wellness, helping them manage stress. As a result, there’s less risk of burnout and quiet quitting.

4. Create open feedback channels

Don’t leave every piece of feedback for one-on-ones and employee surveys. Provide employees with channels for expressing themselves to leadership at any time. 

For example, you might build an anonymous Google Form or Slack channel for “comment box” style feedback where employees can share their thoughts and express frustrations. This way, you’ll be the first to know about issues affecting your workforce.

Keep your workforce engaged and satisfied with Oyster

Quiet quitting and the disengagement that fuels it happens at tight-knit, on-site companies and geographically dispersed remote operations alike. But whether your office takes outings together on Fridays or you’re separated by oceans, Oyster helps organizations build meaningful employee experiences.

Oyster can help your company determine what a competitive compensation and benefits package looks like, so you know you’re offering your employees what they need to thrive. Hire and retain excited global talent, reduce turnover, and create a culture where employees from all over the world feel valued with Oyster’s HR support.

Stay ahead of quiet quitting and boost employee satisfaction with Oyster’s Total Rewards program.