Quiet Quitting - Balancing remote work

As the newest Thin Piggy, navigating the nuances of a new workplace, particularly a fully remote workplace, can be a challenge.  We are dispersed from coast to coast, with different personalities, lifestyles and work hours. I keep my calendar in both central and west coast times to avoid confusion in scheduling meetings. As I join the team and get excited about my new role, the term “quiet quitting” comes into debate amongst my colleagues.  Every day on LinkedIn, there’s a new opinion article written both for and against the concept. 

Quiet quitting is commonly understood as employees fulfilling their work tasks without going above and beyond.  Arguments against quiet quitting have largely come from older generations, stating that workers are only doing the bare minimum, while those in favor of the concept state it is about work-life balance and not buying into the hustle. 

I question both sides of the debate. 

I was hired to provide a resource and function to the organization that employs me. This function was defined to me in conversations leading up to my employment as well as my initial employment contract.  My role continues to reshape itself and be redefined as I grasp new platforms and become comfortable with our relationships with clients. Simply put, I was trained and brought up to speed for my role. I am eager and ambitious, and nothing is too big or too small to tackle. Am I truly going above and beyond? Or am I fulfilling my function within our company to provide value, which I then am monetarily compensated for? 

Setting boundaries between personal and professional life is an individual’s responsibility. I am able to enjoy my personal life because of my professional life. If I need a sick day, it is in my power to address the issue with my supervisor that I need a day off. However, it is also my choice to say that I feel well enough to complete my tasks for the day and show up to work (still in my pajamas, with a box of tissues on my desk). Some may find this the downside of working from home, but I find it as an opportunity, allowing me to decide how my time is spent.  

Quiet quitting is a plea to the employers that cross the boundaries of work-life balance, whether it comes to personal time off, salary, or overall environment. Employees are satisfying their defined responsibilities, but are unmotivated to go the extra mile because their other needs are unfulfilled. They are burnt out and fed-up with being given more work without additional compensation. They are tired of saving PTO for their dream vacation, only to be sent dozens of emails demanding a response while traveling.  

I chose to work at Thin Pig on the compromise of work-life balance, and in my short time here, I can already tell that we are a company of people that want to be here. We want to do well in our work and we want to continue to learn new things. We excel in our jobs because we are passionate about the work we do for our clients. We want to exceed expectations, but we are going to work smarter, not harder. We want our company to grow because we trust our employers to acknowledge our contribution to the bottom line. We do the extra tasks, study for certifications, pick up the slack when a team member is out on maternity leave or dealing with a family matter. 

Quiet quitting isn’t employees not doing their job or showing up to work. It is the response to a workplace mentality that we are in competition with each other to work longer, produce more, and be the workhorse without any promise that this additional work will lead to a promotion or raise.  In my experience, this competitive nature in a workplace leads to a toxic environment and overall dissatisfaction of employees. Why do more when you don’t even want to be there?  

Encouraging employees, creating a safe environment for them where they have freedom and responsibility is key to any business’ successful retention of talent. As an employee, there are instances in which we may have to stretch the boundaries between life and work, but it shouldn’t be a constant effect on our work-life balance. 

I wasn’t hired to write blogs, so is this me going above and beyond? Or am I partaking in an activity with my team to continue to learn and grow in my role, and provide some insight on a topic that impacts us all?