Quiet Quitting: What Employers Need to Know, and How to Address It

First came the Great Resignation. Now we’re seeing quiet quitting or, as it’s also been called, “acting your wage.” Here’s what employers need to know about this trend, and how to counter it by making employees feel valued, respected and invested in shared success.

What is quiet quitting?

Quiet quitting refers to employees doing the bare minimum for their jobs during designated working hours only, without giving the time, effort, and energy that can mean the difference to a business’s success. Stressed and dissatisfied, many employees are reevaluating their relationship with work and reconsidering the effort and hours they devote to their jobs. Millions of employees have left their jobs, with millions of positions also open¹, setting up fierce competition for talent in the hiring market. Even as the economy starts to cool, talent in many industries can still afford to be choosy.

The concept of quiet quitting may not be new—think about phrases like “phoning it in” and “above my pay grade,” or an application of the 80/20 rule,² in which 20% of high-performing employees account for 80% of a company’s productivity. Remote work, though, has changed how many employees (and employers) view responsibilities, and it has blurred the lines between work and home. Given the convergence of the Great Resignation, historic levels of pandemic stress, and the ever-increasing focus on employee happiness, savvy employers are looking for signs of quiet quitting—and putting solutions in place.

Signs of quiet quitting

To recognize the signs of quiet quitting, managers can look for changes in attitude, work level and quality, and responsiveness. In 1:1 meetings, managers can ask if employees have the resources to do their jobs effectively, what can be done to improve their experience, and what excites them most about their roles. At a more generalized level, other resources can include feedback-gathering tools and regular employee pulse surveys that help employers spot trends that could ultimately affect productivity, profitability, and retention.

Quiet quitting and generational differences

With five generations³ in the workplace today, it’s inevitable that age-and-stage differences will surface with quiet quitting and the redrawing of boundaries around work-life balance. Broadly speaking, older workers are likely to be more traditionally loyal to career path and employer, while younger generations like millennials and Gen Z may prioritize personal experience or growth over role or company. Ultimately, what employees need differs depending on where they are in life.

A solution to support employee happiness

The good news for employers is that an effective solution to quiet quitting and workplace stress already exists—benefits that make employees feel more supported and valued. And, as research shows that benefits are the #2 reason to look for a new job,⁴ the right benefits can also help employers retain and reward their talent.

Innovative supplemental healthcare benefits can be a win-win for employers and employees by providing:

• Benefit flexibility to meet different generational needs or to address needs for specific roles or employee classes
• Support that increases employee happiness and well-being, even for healthy employees
• Solutions that can be put in place any month, all year
• Plans to address a wide range of employee needs without breaking the benefits budget

The right benefits make employees feel that their employer is going the extra mile to take care of them, which can help them feel they have more to give. Learn more about ArmadaCare’s range of plans, and how they can help to address workplace trends like quiet quitting.

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¹ Bureau of Labor Statistics, JOLTS Report, October 2022

² Spiceworks, 2021

³ Pew Research, Purdue University

⁴ PwC, 2021