'Corporations quiet quit long before employees did': this hot take on quiet quitting asks companies to look in the mirror

By now, you've probably heard of the newest trend in this Great Resignation phase we're living through now: “quiet quitting.” According to The Guardian, quiet quitting is the antithesis of staying late after hours and going above and beyond for your work; rather, it involves “doing just enough in the office to keep up, then leaving work on time, and muting Slack.” 

Quiet quitting might be controversial to some and empowering to others. This Tik Tok, which was posted by @getglamfam and reposted on Instagram via @humorous_resources, re-contextualizes what quiet quitting is actually about by discussing how corporations bear some responsibility.

“This isn't Quiet Quitting. This is Boundary Setting.”

Lots to unpack here. First of all, as @getglamfam says, quiet quitting is really about setting boundaries, and corporations are going to have to accept that to a certain extent. It's not as simple as “nobody wants to work anymore” (to quote America's hardest working woman Kim Kardashian). And it isn't as simple as everyone's tired and lazy and remote work promoted a culture of doing the bare minimum. That mentality is not only statistically untrue (in fact, working from home is known to make employees more productive), but it's also unfair. 

If a job description clearly states that your hours are 9-5 or 10-6, you are in no way obligated to do more. Choosing to do more of your own volition is certainly welcome, but a work culture should not encourage employees to jeopardize their mental health, risk sleep deprivation, and spend even more time away from family for brownie points. Any such obligation outside of one's contracted hours is a result of a work culture that pressures employees to bend over backwards and accept a lack of work-life balance. 

This leads to @getglamfam's next big point: why are employees expected to go above and beyond for their work when corporations do not go above and beyond for their employees? Personally, I go above and beyond for one thing and one thing only: my television addiction. Don't worry, I'm only half-kidding. 

In all seriousness, however, quiet quitting is really nothing new. Quiet quitting is not a trend. It's just doing what your contract requires you to do. If employers fear that productivity will go down, then they should hire more people or work with employees to amend the requirements fairly. While we're at it, let's reframe the idea that doing the bare minimum and doing what is required of you are different things. 

Keep scrolling below for these memorable comments on Instagram!

@nyclebronfan writes, “It's also called Work Your Wage!”

@osurugby jokes, “Umm I'm voting this individual for president…" 

For more, check out these antiwork memes for the tired and overworked!