QUIET QUITTING

What Does Quiet Quitting Mean?

Quiet Quitting means "doing the bare minimum at work."

As explained on this page, Quiet Quitting has a number of slightly different interpretations, but it doesn't involve actually quitting your job.

The term Quiet Quitting has been around for quite some time, but it was catapulted to public attention in August 2022, when TikTokker Zaid Khan (@zaidlepplin) posted a video on it that went viral (see below).

In the video, Khan says: "I recently learned about this term called Quiet Quitting, where you're not outright quitting your job, but you're quitting the idea of going above and beyond. You're still performing your duties, but you're no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life. The reality is it's not - and your worth as a person is not defined by your labor."

In the context outlined by Khan, Quiet Quitting is similar in use and meaning to Act Your Wage, in that the employee continues to engage in their work, but without going "above and beyond." This type of Quiet Quitter does so by rejecting overtime and extra responsibility in order to prioritize their free time and mental health.

However, another interpretation of Quiet Quitting is less positive. In this context, people who are unhappy with their job or employer stop putting in any effort at all and do the bare minimum to continue to get a pay check while avoiding being fired.

In all cases, there is consensus that Quiet Quitting does not involve the actual quitting of one's job. Under any definition, Quiet Quitting means remaining in one's workplace while not actively going "above and beyond."

This is obviously a concern for employers and my not bode well for the long-term satisfaction with life of employees, neither those who have quietly quit, nor their colleagues who have to pick up the slack.

The opposite of Quiet Quitting is Quiet Firing.

@zaidlepplin - Quiet Quitting

@zaidleppelin On Quiet Quitting #workreform ♬ original sound - ruby

Image for Quiet Quitting

When I write Quiet Quitting, I mean this:

Quiet Quitting does not actually involve leaving one's job.

Summary of Key Points

Definition for Quiet Quitting

"Doing the Bare Minimum at Work" is the definition of Quiet Quitting on social media apps, such as TikTok and LinkedIn, as well as in texts and on chat forums.

Quiet Quitting
Definition:	Doing the Bare Minimum at Work
Type:	Word
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults

An Academic Look at Quiet Quitting

Quiet Quitting is a neologism (i.e., a newly coined word or phrase which has emerged into everyday use).

A neologism can be:

• A new meaning for an existing word (e.g., mood, sick).
• A completely new word (e.g., oversharers).
• A new combination of existing words (e.g., digital detox).

Example of Quiet Quitting Used in a Text

Quiz

Try our fun quiz to test your knowledge of slang and texting abbreviations. Show Instructions