The Rise of Quietly Quitting: How to Recognize and Prevent Employee Burnout

In the wake of The Great Resignation, the notion of “quiet quitting” has steadily gained traction. Far from actually resigning, the term represents a shift in work culture that emphasizes a clear separation between personal and professional life. As engagement in the workplace wanes, over half of the US workforce merely meets the bare minimum of their job requirements. The statistics are signaling the growing disconnect between employees and employers.

How can business leaders recognize and prevent employee burnout? They have to strategically support their workers’ well-being and productivity. To do this, they can:

Get rid of toxic managers
Practice empathetic leadership
Promote a healthy work-life balance
Set realistic expectations
Give employees greater autonomy
Provide mental health support
Recognize great work

“Quiet quitting” is particularly pronounced among younger workers. Specifically, they increasingly feel uncared-for and stuck in an environment without growth. Resolving the phenomenon requires addressing the theme of balance in your work and home life. In this article, we talk about the different ways you can recognize and prevent burnout and quiet quitting.

How to Recognize and Prevent Burnout

Quiet quitting is a phenomenon in which employees disengage from the “hustle culture.” Workers fulfill their responsibilities and nothing more — particularly if they aren’t paid to do extra.

This concept has been exacerbated by factors such as:

The COVID-19 pandemic
Workplace burnout
A reevaluation of personal values and priorities

Quiet quitting and burnout are distinct concepts. Burnout is an involuntary response to unmanaged workplace stress. It leaves employees feeling drained and detached from their jobs, possibly leading to cynicism. Quiet quitting, in contrast, is a deliberate action. Employees do it to establish a healthy mental boundary between individuals and harmful leadership.

While these two phenomena are different, burnout can sometimes result in quiet quitting. This may manifest as employees choosing not to respond to urgent emails after work hours. Or they may prioritize their personal lives over work in various situations.

Regardless, employers can address quiet quitting. First, they have to distinguish between disengaged employees and those who are doing their best but facing challenges. Second, they need to manage worker engagement through:

Regular performance reviews
Open communication
Creating an inclusive culture where employees feel valued

Third, providing training and resources for managers is crucial. This way, they can better understand and support the modern workforce. Empathetic leadership is especially necessary to adapt to the needs of younger generations. Those individuals place a high value on work-life balance and personal fulfillment.

Below are more recommendations on how to combat quiet quitting by acting promptly to prevent burnout:

Get rid of toxic leaders

There’s nothing more draining than toxic leaders. If you are serious about addressing employee burnout, it will benefit your company to be more stringent about choosing and developing managers. For instance, you can use scientific evaluations to anticipate how a leader will perform. Similar methods can help you avoid recruiting individuals who will regularly cause fear or isolation among their team members.

It can be difficult to coach someone to be kind, impartial, and empathetic. Attitude cannot be taught. It will be challenging to work with those who do not possess these qualities inherently.

Employers should take action to eliminate toxic behaviors and environments, such as:

Bullying
Harassment
Excessive workload

Moreover, toxic leaders are a key ingredient for employees’ work fatigue. You can learn more in our article, “What is Workplace Fatigue?” Addressing these issues can help create a more positive and supportive workplace culture.

Practice empathetic leadership

Let’s reconsider how we define empathic leadership when it comes to preventing exhaustion. Many of us associate empathy with treating others as we’d like to be treated. This definition is too narrow.

To genuinely show empathy, we need to treat others the way they want to be treated. That means:

Stepping outside your own needs
Recognizing and removing prejudice
Putting active listening into practice

Fortunately, leaders have been putting in extensive efforts to close the gap. We’ve seen many leaders who have learned to adjust their policies and practices at a rapid pace to keep up with the pandemic’s harmful impact. Though they are learning on the go, they are also letting go of antiquated ideas for new approaches. For instance, what was useful at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown may not be anymore.

Ally Fekaiki, founder of Workplace Wellbeing Program Juno, reiterates:

Ends don’t always justify the means. This means toxic workplaces are on notice. The new generation values peace and better treatment over income. [This] is because they understand the impact that a toxic workplace has on their general health. Companies that will not rise to the call for empathetic leadership will lag behind and find it difficult to retain employees.

Promote a healthy work-life balance

What does work-life balance mean for your team? There are different motivators for every individual. For a thriving workplace, it’s best not to assume. Instead, include workers in the decision-making process and collect valuable insights along the way.

Initiating micro-pilot programs allows companies to test various burnout prevention strategies without significant risk or budgetary concerns. Begin by focusing on one or two departments or teams and pose a simple question: Given a limited budget, what should be the top priority for improving work-life balance?

Gather anonymous responses, discuss the priorities, and work through the list to address issues. Employees may not have a perfect solution, but their insights into existing problems are indispensable.

A more extensive pilot program can involve reassessing annual events like team-building activities. Solicit employee feedback on events such as get-togethers to determine:

What they enjoy
What they would change
If there are alternative ways to allocate funds for a better work-life balance

If digital tools and surveys are apt for collecting opinions, use them. What matters is that the gathered data is acted upon. If employees feel their input is not valued, they may become disengaged or provide dishonest feedback.

In physical offices, the management by wandering around (MBWA) approach may be executed. In this hands-on leadership style, managers literally walk around the office to gain insight into employee concerns and needs. Witnessing issues firsthand makes it difficult for leadership to ignore the struggles and inefficiencies at work.

The definition of a healthy work-life balance for your employees may be remote work or flexible scheduling. If possible, consider ways to make it happen. Burnout is a common issue that arises when employees feel like they are always on the job and cannot separate from work. This necessitates promoting work-life balance through various strategies.

By meeting your workers halfway, you can keep them happy and inspired. As they gain momentum on the job, you can look forward to the organization’s success.

Set realistic expectations

When employees know what you expect from them, they can focus on meeting or even going beyond those metrics. They can contribute confidently while pacing themselves to achieve business objectives. Therefore, employers need to establish realistic expectations around:

Workload
Overtime
Work responsibilities

Communicating these expectations clearly shows respect for employees’ boundaries. Bypassing this step can lead to severe stress, anxiety, and eventual burnout. A lack of trust between managers and employees may further complicate the situation.

In a toxic work environment, employees feel undervalued and unsupported. This low morale can spread throughout the team, impacting productivity and turnover rates.

Key Takeaways for Effective Expectation Management

In contrast, a supportive work environment emerges when managers communicate attainable expectations. Mutual respect in a team result in better dynamics, elevated morale, and a sense of fulfillment for employees.

Managers and other leaders can practice the following for effective expectation management:

Regularly communicate with your team to provide guidance
Offer specific, actionable, and timely feedback
Involve employees in the goal-setting process
Combine realistic expectations with stretch goals to encourage growth
Continuously adjust expectations based on employee progress and capabilities

Give employees greater autonomy

One way to increase employee involvement is to grant deserving employees greater autonomy in their work. Instead of simply assigning them additional responsibilities, consider providing them with more independence.

Traditional promotions typically involve assigning workers more challenging tasks and greater responsibilities. But these promotions may not necessarily enhance their sense of authority or status. Some employees may feel as though they are being given additional work without proper recognition or compensation.

Consider rewarding team members who exhibit dependability and originality with greater independence. This newfound autonomy grants them the ability to determine their own working approach. Likewise, they are free to make positive changes for both themselves and their team.

Provide mental health support

Employers must be vigilant in identifying signs of burnout among their employees, such as:

Increased stress levels
Decreased job satisfaction
Reduced productivity

By offering Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and mental health services, employers can give their people the tools they need to manage stress and maintain their mental health. These resources may include therapy and counseling. Wellness programs designed to address specific mental health challenges may be launched, too.

Employers can create a culture that cares about mental health. In addition, they can encourage open communication about well-being. Invite employees to share their feelings and concerns without judgment. Allocating safe spaces for these conversations can help create an environment where mental health is valued.

Employees can likewise become more emotionally fluent. Through adequate resources and training, they will be able to:

Recognize and name their emotions
Understand their bodily responses to stress
Make informed decisions about their well-being

This is just another way to empower employees to better manage their mental health and reduce the risk of burnout.

Furthermore, allowing employees more control over their work schedules and tasks can lead to increased job satisfaction and reduced stress. Flexible work arrangements can solve some workplace problems. However, people will prefer different things — remote work is not for everyone. Explore what works for the members of your team. The rewards — preventing burnout and creating a more engaged workforce — are more than worth the effort.

Finally, diversity plays a role. Addressing disparities in the experiences of different demographic groups within the workplace is necessary. Consider offering targeted support to marginalized employees, such as:

People of color
Members of the LGBTQ+ community
People with disabilities

All employees must have access to resources and opportunities they need to maintain their mental health.

Recognize great work

Addressing quiet quitting relies heavily on effective leadership. Leaders can make their employees feel appreciated by:

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of team members
Engaging in regular one-on-one discussions
Recognizing individual accomplishments

Feedback in the workplace is often associated with addressing mistakes. But fostering a culture that celebrates excellence and achievements through constructive feedback is equally vital.

High-quality feedback, even during successful periods, can eliminate uncertainties. Clarifying strengths and areas for improvement is the secret to motivated and efficient teams.

Interested in fostering a highly productive environment at work? Check out “Top 10 Attributes for Maximum Productivity: Crafting the Ideal Work Environment.”

Signs of Quiet Quitting

Quiet quitting does not refer to doing the bare minimum at work. It is also not indicative of laziness. Instead, a quiet quitter engages less and does not thrive within a team or in a specific role. A quiet quitter may be doing fantastic work as per their job description but will not do more than that.

We’ve talked about ways you could prevent burnout. That being said, leaders should also be on the lookout for signs of quiet quitting.

Decreased Work Engagement

A decline in work engagement happens when employees take part less frequently in corporate events and optional meetings. They may also be less present in mandatory meetings, showing a lack of engagement and interest. Signs of disengagement may include:

Signing off from communication platforms early
Deleting work emails from personal devices
Consistently arriving late to work

Diminished Initiative

Another sign is when an employee stops taking on new responsibilities or spearheading projects. A lack of enthusiasm may happen suddenly or gradually. Eventually, the employee limits their tasks to their job description. They may also do the following:

Stop volunteering for projects
Avoid staying late in the work environment
Become less vocal in situations where they were previously active

Social Isolation

Quiet quitters may distance themselves from colleagues. They may:

Reduce their participation in social or informal conversations
Eat lunch alone
Turn off their cameras during video calls

Social isolation can occur both inside and outside the workplace. Employees may also avoid engaging in non-work-related activities and display disinterest in their coworkers. Unfortunately, these behaviors can erode trust at work.

Perception Shift

Visible signs of quiet quitting often stem from internal changes in an employee’s thoughts and feelings about their job or workplace. These shifts in beliefs and habits can lead to questioning the significance of their work. What is its role in their life?

On the other hand, there are hidden signs as well. Employees might feel that their tasks are meaningless or desire more fulfilling work.

Employers have to dig deeper to unearth the underlying reasons behind quiet quitting. These can vary from passive-aggressive retaliation to a genuine desire for work-life balance. Some employees may prioritize their mental and physical health over exceeding expectations. Meanwhile, others might be exhibiting presenteeism due to fear of income loss, competitive disadvantage, or unreasonable workloads and deadlines.

Preparing for the worst-case scenario? Read “The Consequences of Work Burnout and Ways to Deal With It.”

Quiet Quitting and the Workplace

Quiet quitters do perform their duties at work. As content strategist and writer Nino Padova describes it, “Once you scratch away the layers, it can start to feel like quiet quitting is just noisy social media shorthand for a more universal human condition: work.”

However, these employees are mentally and emotionally detached from their jobs. Their mindset reflects a desire for a more sustainable, balanced approach to work and life. This idea of balance challenges traditional notions of success and the unsustainable nature of being constantly available to work.

Impact on Employee Engagement

Employee engagement has been on the decline since the second half of 2021. The rise in quiet quitting correlates with a decrease in workplace satisfaction, particularly regarding:

Clarity of expectations
Opportunities for growth
A sense of connection to the organization’s mission or purpose

This growing disconnect between employees and their employers is exaggerated by another factor. Many workers who are disengaged or actively disengaged are already searching for better job opportunities.

We provide tips on how leaders can boost employee engagement through our article “10 Simple Things You Can Do To Improve Your Daily Motivation.”

The Future of Quiet Quitting

The quiet quitting phenomenon serves as a reminder that we need a fresh approach to work. Most employees today prefer workplaces that acknowledge the importance of a healthy work-life balance. Furthermore, the employers should always consider the evolving expectations of employees as they plan their workforce.

Veteran recruiter Adam Karpiak suggests, “Instead of complaining about ‘quiet quitting,’ companies should focus on ‘loud retaining.’ ‘We want 110% effort.’ Okay, well, 110% effort needs 110% pay.”

Meanwhile, Recruiting leader Bonnie Dilber proposes,

The real conversation should be around ‘Quiet Firing’ as it’s rampant. You don’t receive feedback or praise. You get raises of 3% or less while others are getting much more. Your 1:1s are frequently canceled or shuffled around. You don’t get invited to work on cool projects or stretch opportunities. You’re not kept up-to-date on information that is relevant or critical to your work. Your manager never talks to you about your career trajectory. This happens ALL THE TIME.

It works great for companies… eventually you’ll either feel so incompetent, isolated, and unappreciated that you’ll go find a new job, and they never have to deal with a development plan or offer severance. Or your performance will slip enough due to the lack of support that they’ll be able to let you go. Instead of worrying about ‘quiet quitting,’ I’d encourage companies to look at their management practices and identify places where people are being ‘quiet fired’ by poor managers who don’t want to do the work to support, train, and coach their teams.

Some say quiet quitting is worse than the real thing. If you’re wondering about the latter, read “The Art of Conscious Quitting: How to Leave Your Job with Grace and Purpose.”