Every week, it seems, the people of the internet develop some trendy new term the rest of us must scramble to understand. The latest addition to this evolving social media vocabulary set is quiet quitting. The term recently went viral, thanks to TikTok and a hotly debated article by USA Today. The phrase “quiet quitting” describes a growing, pandemic-related push to scale back at work, but some parents and caregivers are fighting back against what they see as an attempt to reclassify workplace boundaries as something negative.
What is ‘quiet quitting’?
“Quiet quitting” doesn’t mean actually leaving your job. Rather, it’s a practice of letting go of the stress of performing above and beyond your job duties, particularly when doing so isn’t rewarded with additional pay or other benefits. As NPR reports, “It’s the choice to do only your assigned work — and nothing more.”
A June survey shows nearly half of professionals say they feel more comfortable turning down work now than they did before the pandemic, and 62% say they feel more emboldened to demand a better work-life balance. “Quiet quitting” has emerged as a catch-all term to describe this trend of workers setting boundaries and putting limits on how much work they’re willing to let work bleed into their lives off the clock.
The term “quiet quitting” spread quickly on TikTok, where a search for the phrase yields thousands of results. Some TikTok users say the practice of setting boundaries and reducing unpaid labor is a good thing while others argue that “quiet quitting” actually means doing the bare minimum and is the epitome of Gen Z and millennial “laziness.”
For many parents, caregivers and others with major responsibilities outside of work, the term “quiet quitting” seems like a derogatory way of describing the kinds of boundaries they’ve needed in the workplace all along.
What does ‘quiet quitting mean for parents and caregivers?
Backlash against the term “quiet quitting” began almost as soon as the phrase went viral. On Twitter, people explained why the push for a healthier work-life balance and less unpaid labor isn’t just a trend; it’s actually a necessity.
“Some of us saw our parents working late hours, who weren’t there for their kids, and promised ourselves we wouldn’t do that to our kids,” one person writes. “Some call it ‘work life balance’, others call it ‘quiet quitting’.”
“Some people are disabled! Some people are caregivers or kids/elders! Some people are tired of their work being stolen! Some people have bigger things going on their their job,” another person adds. “None of these people deserve to have their livelihoods threatened by a term like ‘quiet quitting’!”
One person put it simply: “Quiet quitting doesn’t exist. What you’re talking about is self care.”
The problem with the term ‘quiet quitting’
The rise of “quiet quitting” may be linked to a change in attitudes about work since the pandemic began. According to a recent Gallup poll, work engagement has declined for the first time in a decade. Managers and healthcare workers show the steepest declines in engagement, but the poll results note that physical and mental health challenges are present in many different fields.
A separate survey by Ohio State University finds that 66% of parents report feelings of burnout. Meanwhile, caregiver fatigue continues to grow among those who care for other loved ones. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says caregivers are at higher risk for health problems associated with stress, depression and difficulty maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
For those tasked with caring for kids or aging loved ones, workplace boundaries and caregiver-friendly policies are often a necessity. In fact, studies show that benefits like paid family leave would overwhelmingly improve the lives of U.S. workers. In the absence of those benefits, setting boundaries at work and refusing to fuel burnout with unpaid labor is the only recourse many workers have.
Reclassifying workplace boundaries as a form of “quitting” promotes a workplace culture in which outside responsibilities and self-care are abnormal or even akin to slacking off. That attitude has the potential to do a lot of harm to workers, particularly women and people of color, who may already be tasked with an unfair share of unpaid labor and passed over more frequently for promotions.
“Quitting” something means giving up on it, but creating necessary boundaries that allow you to be healthier and more productive as a human being isn’t the same thing. As our understanding of work, caregiving and health continues to evolve, perhaps the terms we use to talk about those things should, too.
