How companies can deal with quiet quitting

As the world evolves, the traditional way of employees being physical present at work can no longer be used to measure their productivity and commitment.

Some employees decided to quiet-quit, instead of quitting.

Janine O’Riley, Conference and Reward Awards Chair of the South African Reward Association (Sara), said when employees quite-quit is when they disengage emotionally from their work without explicitly resigning.

The reasons for employees quiet-quitting ranges from feeling undervalued, disengaged, or burnt out, which lead them to gradually withdraw their emotional investment in their roles.

There is no real change

O’Riley said companies do acknowledge the impact that quiet-quitting has, however, there is no real change being implemented.

She believes one of the reasons companies are not implementing any changes is because there is a lack of understanding. “If a manager does not understand the root causes of disengagement or recognise the signs of quiet quitting it can be difficult to take effective action.”

She said another reason could be because managers may lack the necessary training or resources to address quiet quitting effectively. As in some cases, the organisational culture may contribute to quiet quitting.

“If the company values are not aligned with employee values or if there is a lack of trust and transparency, employees may be more likely to disengage or leave quietly.”

ALSO READ: Quiet quitting – Here’s what the law says, and how it could affect your employment

Non-existent competitive salaries or benefits

One of the reasons listed by O’Riley about why employees quiet-quit is the economic climate. Some companies may not be able to offer employees competitive salaries or benefits, which usually leads to lower level of engagement.

“When employees perceive limited growth opportunities due to economic constraints, they may become disengaged and less motivated to perform at their best.”

She quotes a report by Gallup, which for the first time measured loneliness in the workplace.

“Globally 20% experienced feelings of loneliness. In Sub-Sahara Africa 26% felt lonely.”

She said in a busy workplace, employees may not have the opportunity to build strong relationships with their colleagues. This lack of connection can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness.

A toxic or unsupportive workplace culture can also breed loneliness. If there is a lack of trust, or respect among employees, individuals may feel isolated and lonely in such an environment.

ALSO READ: Time to stop quiet quitting and ensure you are visible and valuable?

Make the change

A list of solutions by O’Riley that can be implemented by companies to avoid quiet-quitting include:

• Implementing changes that employees have aired out through their concerns and suggestions. 

• Publicly show appreciation for employees’ hard work by recognising and celebrating their achievements and milestones. 

• Provide training and workshops on stress management, mindfulness, and resilience to help employees cope with work-related challenges.

• Encourage work-life balance by promoting flexible working arrangements, setting boundaries for after-hours communication, and supporting employees in taking time off when needed.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Quiet quitting and four-day work week could both help to fix broken workplaces

‘Quiet vacationing’

O’Riley said the idea of ‘quiet vacationing’ is gaining traction as employees seek ways to recharge and maintain a healthy work-life balance without completely disconnecting from work.

This is when one takes paid time-off, going on a holiday without formally putting in leave.

“It goes without saying that this has become prevalent after Covid and more employees working remotely which makes it easy to do.”

 A recent survey by market research firm The Harris Poll found that the practice is higher among younger workers with 37% of them being Millennials and 24% GenZ.

She said the practice is not just about working out of the office, but links to other challenges such as the inability to disconnect, the anxiety of requesting time off, pressure to always be available, guilt and the perception of them by their managers and employees.

“This once again takes us back to company culture and providing a conducive environment where employees feel supported, free to communicate in a psychological safe space to express themselves.”