Quiet quitting: Is it more than just a better work-life balance?

A new phrase has entered the employment lexicon: Quiet quitting. If you’re not familiar with it, the simple definition is just doing the scope of your job — no more, no less. Some may view it as “checking out” of your day-to-day responsibilities and working the bare minimum, if that. Others see it as setting better boundaries so that your work life doesn’t overshadow or usurp other aspects of your life — it’s creating a better work-life balance.

As we emerge from the pandemic, there has been a serious reevaluation of job satisfaction and millions of workers have left their jobs in search of something better. The insurance industry, like many other businesses, is battling for talent, and in a field where aspects such as claims and customer service can demand 24/7 coverage, finding that balance can be difficult.

The medical fields, education, customer service and hospitality, disaster restoration, and public services like fire and police, are just a few of the jobs that require working weekends, nights and long hours while missing family events, sports games and other enjoyable activities.

Employees won’t announce that they’re quiet quitting, but managers should be aware of any changes in attitudes or work levels and consider having a conversation with workers when they notice a difference. Questions to ask include the following:

• Have there been changes in your job responsibilities?
• Do you have the resources you need to do your job effectively?
• What do you like about your job?
• What don’t you like about your job?
• What would you change?
• What challenges are you facing in your job?
• How can I improve your work experience?
• What are you excited about (at work or personally)?
• Are there other facets of the job you’d like to learn?
• What are your long-term goals here at the company?

Remote work has changed the way everyone balances responsibilities. Understanding an employee’s personal commitments may provide insight into stressors and difficulties they are facing outside of the job.

Layoffs, employees leaving and even remote work have affected the responsibilities of many workers, and finding replacements takes time. Of course, if an employee is filling multiple roles without the proper resources, that’s a completely different discussion altogether. Establishing realistic boundaries to prevent burnout is a proactive way to protect themselves, their families and their co-workers.

Related: Supporting better work/life integration

Your perspective on quiet quitting will likely be different depending on your age and professional experience. However, it should not be an excuse to do the bare minimum in a job. Every occupation likely has times when employees will need to work longer and harder to complete a project or handle an influx of customers or claims. However, constantly working above and beyond is not a sustainable model, nor is just doing what’s in your job description if you aspire to greater responsibilities and success.

The reality is that we all need balance in our lives,  and we need to ensure we’re being proactive in the quest, not reactive.