Ronald Goseco l September 30, 2022 l The Manila Times
THERE was a spate of resignations in government that were remarkably loud and ostentatious by today’s standards. Unlike the quiet quitting that has become quite common in some companies, particularly in the United States, the recent public resignations — or as some would describe, forced ones — reflect what appear to be rifts and possible cracks in the administration.
Some have also interpreted these, rightly or wrongly, as a power struggle between opposing factions vying for opportunities and conflicting interests. There are winners and losers in every election, and it is fascinating to watch how the division of spoils is playing out. The drama is not yet over and it is still possible that all of these is play-acting and a mere ruse or feint to distract everyone as to what the final game really is.
If the events are authentic and not staged to create false narratives, they could be examples of quiet firing. Although quiet firing is not an exclusive pandemic-era occurrence, it has apparently become more common.
Several reasons have emerged. The first is that it has become more difficult to fire employees after the widespread layoffs at the peak of the pandemic. Although times remain tough with a global recession underway, it has become socially unacceptable during the post-pandemic recovery period to fire people.
It is much more convenient to accept resignations. It avoids the burdensome economic and legal requirements for termination like severance and the fulfillment of preliminary conditions. It could also be more advantageous for the employee as resigning provides for a gracious exit instead of an otherwise black mark in their job history. Besides, if the office environment becomes too toxic, looking for jobs elsewhere might be the better alternative. The tight global labor market has also opened more opportunities to choose from.
What characterizes a quiet firing? There are several situations. The first is when management simply ignores you. You remain on the payroll but are excluded from crucial projects or important meetings. You are constantly avoided or worse, berated for what you might consider minor mistakes. You might be subjected to office bullying and criticized for the slightest of reasons. Your boss does not provide any guidance nor does he encourage you. Your boss does not have time to meet you even if you ask for it. You remain stuck in your role without any future opportunities.
Not surprisingly, according to the latest Pew Research Center survey in the US, 63 percent of the workers who quit a job in 2021 cited no opportunities for advancement while 57 percent felt disrespected at work. Low pay — historically has been the primary reason for resignations — was tied to the lack of opportunities. It is possible that the recent resignations were actually the result of some of the quiet firing situations we just described. This eventually led to the employee feeling being disrespected and finally being forced out.
Quiet quitting is another matter altogether. The term “quiet quitter” was recently coined to describe employees choosing not to go above and beyond at work. According to LinkedIn, quiet quitting is about rejecting the notion that work has to take over one’s life and that employees should go beyond what their job descriptions entail. This can take many forms, including turning down projects based on interests, refusing to answer work messages outside working hours or simply feeling less invested in roles at the office.
Quiet quitters still perform their duties but no longer subscribe to the notion that work has to be their entire life. It can be a subtle mindset shift that is hardly noticeable to co-workers but allows the quiet quitter to feel less emotionally invested in their job.
When individuals feel that they are putting work above everything else at the expense of other important parts of their lives and feel demoralized and burnt out, they start retreating from work to take control of their lives to achieve balance. This might work for a short while and could be akin to simply taking a break.
The decline in engagement, which is one of the consequences of a displaced and work-from-home workforce, could lead to productivity losses, not just for the individual employee but the entire company as well if left unchecked. This would have dire consequences for a global economy that is already in recession and would add to inflationary pressures.
Although it is paramount to achieve a work-life balance, it is likewise important to recognize when it is time for a potential quiet quitter to move on to a more fulfilling and relevant job. This would benefit not just the employee and his family but the entire economy.
*** Ronald S. Goseco is a Finex Institute director. His opinions are his own and do not reflect those of Finex or The Manila Times.