Stop calling it Quiet Quitting. You are just doing what you are paid to do

You must have come across the term 'quiet quitting', browsing Twitter or Instagram. Everyone's talking about it. And some people are relating to it. But the term 'Quiet Quitting' is misleading and problematic. 

First, what is Quiet Quitting? It means not resigning from your job, but also not going the extra mile. In other words, it is about doing the bare minimum or as much as is absolutely required. This term has been made popular through social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter. It mostly pertains to the Gen Z and younger Millenials' work culture as opposed to their older generation's way of hustling. 

Gen Z: “we invented quiet quitting.”

Homer Simpson, 1995: pic.twitter.com/VArq1u0GQh

— Frank Pallotta (@frankpallotta) August 19, 2022

There are two ways to look at 'quiet quitting':

The first perception looks at the term quiet quitting negatively. It means that you do not love your job and employers cannot expect any initiation from the employee's part. Some people say that in the long run, quiet quitters can run into trouble with employers who may look at them as underperformers or slackers. 

The second perception says the term is problematic, not quiet quitters. Quiet Quitting here is seen as doing what you are paid to do and rejecting working for free or in an exploitative environment. In other words, it is more or less standing up to capitalism that wants free labour. It's not as much as not putting in extra effort as much as demanding due compensation for that 'extra' bit. It's about maintaining a work-life balance.  

Are workers "quiet quitting"? Or are they refusing to be underpaid and treated like dirt?

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 24, 2022

In India: When it comes to doing what the 'bare minimum' or looking at quiet quitting as slacking, the first image that pops into the mind is of the sarkari naukri (government job). However, in the Indian private sector, expectations of going above and beyond for nothing in return have been a culture for a long time. Especially in the media and entertainment sector, employees are told there is no concept of time. The last sentence is not just restricted to India. 

There is always an in-time, but no out-time. That's the mantra usually followed. And the overtime is not compensated, nor is there a mechanism to seek compensation. 
This is in contrast with the MNC and IT jobs in India, where overtime is duly compensated. 

The change in work culture in India cannot be assessed. But definitely, a lot more people are being influenced by worldwide trends. 

The earlier versions of quiet quitting: While we are hearing of quiet quitting in 2022, the idea has existed since long before. In 2021, Chinese workers made headlines for adopting a new culture called tangping or lying flat. Lying flat means just that, refusing to do anything more than absolutely necessary. The birth of the culture was seen largely as a response to China's extreme hard work culture and even nationalistic sentiments of struggling to build a better nation. 

Quiet firing vs Quiet quitting: Netizens have also pointed out the other side of quiet quitting, called 'quiet firing'. This is when employers don't remove workers from jobs, but also do not give any promotions, acknowledgment or appreciation of extra work.

there’s a lot of talk about “quiet quitting” but not enough talk about “quiet firing” which is where a boss doesn’t formally fire you but they just suck so much to work for that you start to wish they would

— Robert Schultz (@_RobertSchultz) August 25, 2022

Work ≠ Life: For long, the world's work culture has ingrained the idea of work being our identity in life. That's why Indian parents have an obsession with their children pursuing medical or engineering professions. But the younger generation seems to be separating their identity from their professional life, choosing to work to live rather than living to work. 

They tried so hard with putting a name to Quiet Quitting 🤣. The very concept of people setting boundaries and not putting up with wage theft anymore is SO terrifying to the American employer that they had to put a marketing team behind it.

— Jon Kung (@ChefJonKung) August 22, 2022

Which side of the fence do you think you are on?