“Quitting the idea of going above and beyond” is the phrase that marks the new concept emerging in the world of work, which is creating “buzz” around the world.
In fact, it was through the social network TikTok that this concept went viral, when a short video was published (this is the concept of a social network) in which an American “tiktoker” transmitted the idea that life is not only about work and that one’s value is not defined by productivity.
There are many definitions of quiet quitting, all with a common denominator: not doing more than what is contractually foreseen.
Even so, this concept can be analysed from various perspectives: not working overtime, doing only what is necessary with high quality or not doing the work with care and attention.
In fact, this can be a concept with a positive or negative connotation.
It is certain that, in all conceptions presented, the idea of a greater relevance attributed to the conciliation between personal and professional life is present, is an increasingly discussed issue, with special emphasis on this “post-pandemic” era.
The period of social isolation that we have experienced over the last few years, associated with new forms of labour flexibility, have created challenges to the current paradigm of labour organisation. This is due to the fact that, today more than ever, the valorisation of personal well-being, given the importance of mental health, has become an increasing priority.
In any case, the strategy of reconciling personal and professional life should not be based on the idea of “one or the other”, but rather on “one with the other”, and new methods of providing work should be used to respond to the various social challenges.
In any case, quiet quitting is society’s reaction to an outdated reality that, as many say, is not very “quiet”.
José Maria Coelho @ DCM | Littler
