
From increased work hours or workload during the COVID-19 pandemic to feeling the pressure to be “always on,” more employees have experienced burnout than not. With a radically shifting employment landscape, rising employee mental health challenges, and the persistent threat of an economic recession, the topic of burnout has become a pressing concern for employers.
Burnout is defined as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It’s characterized by low energy or exhaustion, feelings of cynicism about one’s job, and lower productivity.
Quiet quitting then, is often used to cope with burnout. It has been defined in a couple of different ways — some describe it as not actively going above and beyond at work, while others see it as doing only the bare minimum to remain employed. Some defend quiet quitting as “just doing your job,” whereas others see it as a form of passive resistance to redraw the boundaries between their professional and personal lives.