Carmen Hall: Quiet quitters should just quit

More employees are protesting against a wearyingly poor work-life balance. Photo / NZME

OPINION

Most Kiwis are by nature, hard workers. Some would say it’s in our DNA. I for one have burnt the candle at both ends.

I like to call it passion but others may prefer to call it madness. But one thing is for sure, it’s not always easy finding the right balance between work and play. A lot of people get paid for an eight-hour job but do much more and some even live and breathe work which cuts into their downtime.

Being over-zealous can take a big toll on family life and wellbeing.

But why do we do it? Drawing from my own experience, I think a few factors come into play including the need to succeed, loyalty to colleagues, job recognition, value and pride.

I’ve also found you are more likely to be promoted if you have a can-do, will-do attitude. But as NZME reported last week, a quiet revolution is happening in workplaces in the Bay of Plenty and across the country.

“I’m not giving up every waking hour” and, “as far as I’m concerned, I don’t work after 5pm,” are just two examples of some employees who practise what is known as “quiet quitting”.

Despite the name, it has nothing to do with quitting your job. It means doing what your job demands but quitting the extra duties such as being available 24/7, answering emails out of hours and doing work you’re not getting paid for.

An example is a 23-year-old who works in retail and says he does his job well but he’s run ragged.

“I’m running around doing everything, while people getting paid more than me walk around on their phones.”

Another is a nurse who, by her own admission, is a people pleaser and in line for promotion but having second thoughts due to the amount of work and expectation, plus the office politics.

Massey University psychologist associate professor Kirsty Ross says quiet quitting links to self-care and self-compassion.

She says people are mindful of needing to maintain their wellbeing and the impact stress could have on health.

In my view, life is too short to be short-changed at work and the goal is to work smarter, not harder. Often this will come down to good time management skills and open communication with your boss about expectations and rewards for time worked without pay and other perks.

I’m known to go above and beyond on occasion for my job because I love what I do.

Quiet quitters might want to contemplate that.

I say if people are unhappy or miserable in their job then quit because they are already halfway there.