For many people, “quiet quitting” means doing just enough to avoid being fired. The focus is on leisure Getty Images / Chris Baldwin
The hype started with a short video on TikTok. It shows a young man with a beard and glasses at a subway stop in New York. You can also listen to soothing music, sounds like in a spa. “Work is not your life,” says the man. “Your value does not come from your productivity.” He advises saying goodbye to the idea that you always have to give your all at work. He calls it “quiet quitting”.
The video was viewed millions of times and received hundreds of thousands of likes. And all of America now seems to be discussing the term. For some, quiet quitting means only doing what is necessary and mentally checking out of work, something like an inner resignation.
Others say it’s just a matter of setting healthy boundaries and standing up to bosses who demand unpaid overtime. Still others see quiet quitting as a new quirk of Generation Z, an excuse to go to yoga earlier.