WHAT IS IT? Quiet Quitting

Job-quitters used to be loud and obnoxious; now many leave without making a sound.

"What Is It?" looks at a term or concept relevant to present discourse and helps readers make sense of it.

For decades, the standard way Americans left their jobs was to suddenly rise from their desks and loudly proclaim, “I QUIT!” For dramatic effect, they might slam shut their laptops or, in a factory setting, spike their hard hats into the floor. If a man had the good fortune of being fired, he would yell back at his boss, “YOU CAN’T FIRE ME! I QUIT!” At which point he would shut the door so hard behind him that, on average, three wall decorations would fall and shatter.

It used to be that when someone quit a job, everyone else knew it.

But times are changing. We are entering the era of “Quiet Quitting.” Just the name alone tells you it is quite removed from the way things used to be done. Whereas the old method was about being loud and obnoxious, quiet quitting is all about leaving a job as discreetly as possible. In fact, if executed perfectly, an individual will be able to quit a job without anyone even knowing. Being a skilled quiet quitter requires stealth and, above all, patience. For quiet quitting moves at a slow, even glacial, pace.

For example, there are no banker’s boxes associated with quiet quitting. Those attract too much attention. A person no longer spends an entire afternoon filling a cardboard box or two with the personal belongings that had slowly crept into the office over several years. Instead, the quitter will take home a single item every day over an extended period of time. Advanced planning is therefore critical. (TIP: If you have even the slightest inkling of wanting to leave your job, begin the quiet quitting process IMMEDIATELY. Time is of the essence. You do not want to be caught flatfooted.)

The dramatic, over-the-top manner in which Tom Cruise left his job in the 1996 film “Jerry Maguire” was common for that time period. Nowadays, many people leave their jobs without making a sound.

Lori Clark is about to enter her third month of quiet quitting from a small insurance agency in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is pleased with her progress. “I have a bookcase in my office that was full of junk,” she said. “Extra coffee mugs, client gifts, trinkets from work conferences, those sorts of things. It felt overwhelming at first. But I’ve slowly been picking away at it, day by day, and it’s just about empty. At this pace, I’ll be moving on to the filing cabinet in no time!”

Most experts agree that Clark should have started with the filing cabinet, as it would have been less obvious. But the most important thing is to pick a plan that works for you and stick to it.

The second half of quiet quitting involves gradually reducing the amount of time spent in the office. Although it can be tricky, the goal is to slowly diminish your boss’ expectations of when you are at work. If you are expected to be at work by 8:30, stretch it to 8:35. Even the most demanding of bosses is unlikely to notice such a small change. Once you’ve conditioned the boss to accept that timeframe, stretch it again to 8:40, 8:50, 9:00.

The same goes for the end of the day, as well as lunch breaks and bathroom visits. If done correctly, you should be able to shave off about an hour from your workday every two weeks. But remember – and we cannot stress this enough – do not try to bite off too big a chunk at one time or else all your hard-earned progress may be lost. Carefully poke and prod around the edges of the clock, like a paleontologist delicately scraping around a dinosaur bone.

Disciplined time management combined with incremental removal of personal items can add up to a successful quiet quitting experience.

You may be thinking: "This seems like a lot of work. If I want to quit my job so badly, then why not just turn in a two weeks’ notice and leave my job in the traditional way?" Let us introduce you to ANONYMOUS (not his real name). After hearing his story, you might change your tune.

“I began quietly quitting my job in April of 2021. I went through all the steps like you’re supposed to: Gradually spent more time out of the office, took things home one by one. Eventually, I was skipping entire meetings without anyone suspecting a thing. I knew I was in the clear when I skipped my own annual performance review and, not only did my boss not confront me about it, but he gave me the same Christmas bonus as everyone else. I haven’t replied to a work email, much less shown up to the office, in nearly six months. But the company still sends me a paycheck every two weeks, just like it always did.”

What an inspiring story! With a little discipline and a strong work ethic, this young man had a dream and didn’t let anyone stand in his way of achieving it. This could be you. Believe in yourself and keep your eyes on the prize. That’s the American way!

Originally published November 1, 2022.