Quiet Quitting in 2025: What employers need to know

Quiet quitting an increasingly popular trend refers to a phenomenon wherein employees disengage with the workplace and perform only the bare minimum tasks required of them Quiet quitting can be a worrying trend reflective of deeper issues in the workplace and signify a lack of worklife balance which may lead to a fall in overall performance A consultant psychiatrist and a business coach delve into the underlying causes and positive and negative aspects of disengagement and offer practical advice to managers and leaders to address quiet quitting and foster a supportive work environment for all employees to thriveWhat is quiet quittingldquoQuiet quitting refers to doing the minimum requirements of ones job and putting in no more time effort or enthusiasm than necessaryrdquo explains Dr Sakshe Jain consultant psychiatrist at Ruby Hall Clinic Pune A growing workplace trend quiet quitting is fuelled by several key factors Primarily employees feel undervalued due to a lack of recognition and appreciation for their hard work This disconnect is exacerbated by low job satisfaction poor worklife balance and unfair compensation and benefits often resulting from excessive workloads and mismatched expectationsShe suggests that the workings and dynamics of the workplace completely transformed due to the pandemic and led to a culture of working from home ldquoEmployees and managers are communicating in different ways through online meetings These interactions may feel more formal than the chat sessions that happen in an office because they need to be scheduled instead of being impromptu Limited meetings and an absence of positive reinforcement can cause a disconnect between employees and management Limited wage growth may also be a huge factorrdquo says Jain To conclude quiet quitting is a response to feeling unappreciated overworked and perceived lack of growth and unfair treatmentSigns of quiet quittingSigns of quiet quitting can vary depending on the employees reasons for wanting to pull back on work ldquoIf an employee is truly unhappy the signs may be much more noticeable than someone with the simple goal of wanting a better worklife balancerdquo poses Jain She outlines some telltale signs of quiet quitting ldquoStrict adherence to work hours minimal contributions beyond basic duties and noticeable disengagement from team discussions and projects Employees show a lack of interest in learning and career growth accompanied by a drop in work performance and emotional detachment from the company culture Reduced communication including delayed responses and limited interaction with colleagues and managers further signals this disengagementrdquoDifference between quiet quitting anxiety and depressionWhile quiet quitting is a workplace behaviour where someone only does the bare minimum required work without going above and beyond anxiety and depression are distinct mental health conditions impacting thoughts feelings and behaviour across various aspects of life that can manifest with broader symptoms beyond just work performance ldquoQuiet quitting might be a coping mechanism for someone experiencing anxiety or depression but it is not the same as either condition itselfrdquo asserts JainShe elaborates ldquoQuiet quitting can be a response to workplace stress burnout or feeling undervalued and someone experiencing anxiety or depression might engage in quiet quitting to manage their stress at work However anxiety and depression often have complex underlying causes including genetics life events and chemical imbalances in the brainrdquoThe negative and positive aspectsQuiet quitting may not always be a negative symptom and sometimes can be a sign of employees seeking a healthier worklife balance Shraddha Subramanian certified business and executive coach intuition expert founder and CEO of Sparkling Soul delves into both positive and negative aspects of quiet quittingThe negative sideLack of enthusiasm in work leading to bare minimum engagement with workb The sense of trust is lost as employees start to not expect anything from the organisation and blame it for negatively impacting their quality of lifec Lower team morale which fuels dissatisfaction and resentmentd Reduced productivity and innovation owing to employees who disengage and contribute less in terms of creativity and effort affecting overall business performanceThe positive sideInstead of being a part of hustle culture employees can prioritise their mental and emotional wellbeing by choosing worklife balanceb By setting healthy boundaries they can avoid longterm stress and burnoutc Quiet quitting helps signal workplace issues such as unfair workloads lack of recognition and ineffective leadership It can point the organisation towards areas of improvementd It helps employees focus on what they would like to achieve in their career which may not be the case currentlyPractical steps that managers can take to identify and address quiet quittingManagers play a crucial role in identifying and addressing quiet quitting within their teams ldquoBy taking proactive steps managers can reignite engagement build trust and create a workplace where employees thrive rather than quietly disengagerdquo shares Subramanian She outlines key steps to tackle disengagement effectivelyIdentify the signs of quiet quittingObserve their behaviours and conduct regular checkins to gauge employee sentiment and engagement levels Monitor declining productivity reduced enthusiasm increased absenteeism and lower collaborationRecognise and appreciate effortsRegularly acknowledge employeesrsquo contributions through verbal praise rewards or incentives Also celebrate milestones and small wins to boost morale and motivationPromote worklife balanceRespect boundaries to prevent burnout and excessive stress Encouraging flexibility with manageable workloads and remote work options is also key to promoting worklife balanceFoster open communicationEncourage honest conversations and actively listen to their challenges and grievances by creating a safe space for employees to voice concerns You may also implement anonymous surveys to assess team morale and engagement levelsSupport career growth and developmentOffer skill enhancement opportunities through training programs mentorship and career progression plans Align roles with employees strengths and aspirations to enhance job satisfactionStrengthen team cultureEnsure employees feel valued heard and connected to the organisationrsquos mission Build a positive work environment through team bonding activities collaboration and inclusivityThe role of leadershipldquoLeaders have a massive responsibility to engage and thread the team together for exceptional performance A leaderrsquos energy can make or break the teamrdquo believes Subramanian The expert shares strategies that can be adapted by leadersBe inclusiveBeing inclusive makes the leader to be open and receptive to the ideas of the team and takes the pressure away of having answers to all the questions This fosters a sense of belonging and helps team bonding and collaborationBe vulnerableBeing vulnerable helps the leader to emotionally connect with employees and the employees see the leader as a human too rather than a taskmaster Keeping the connection alive helps the employees to walk the extra mile if the situation arisesInvest in employee growthIf the leader genuinely focuses on employee growth it helps to elevate the teamrsquos skills and be futureready for any new projects and opportunities Also there is a fulfilment with which employees work knowing that their career growth is important to the organisationStand with the teamWhile representing the team at the management level if the leader always stands for the team and represents them as the most valued force of the organisation it helps to build trust in the employees and team with the leader Such teams are always excellent performers