London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Sep 13, 2025

Everyone Is Talking About 'Quiet Quitting'. But Is It A Good Idea?

Everyone Is Talking About 'Quiet Quitting'. But Is It A Good Idea?

Quiet Quitting: TikTok and Twitter are awash in explainer videos and endless interpretations. Despite what the name suggests, quiet quitting doesn't mean turning in a resignation letter.

"Quiet quitting" has struck a nerve. It means more time for friends, family and personal pursuits, not to mention a side hustle. But the latest workplace trend has drawbacks.

TikTok and Twitter are awash in explainer videos and endless interpretations. Despite what the name suggests, quiet quitting doesn't mean turning in a resignation letter. Instead, it's a stealth retreat from the hustle culture that dominated the pre-pandemic era of giving up everything in pursuit of ambition. Quiet quitting is the newly minted moniker for doing the bare minimum of the job description.

Should you quietly quit, too? Here's why and why not:


Work-life balance: Zaid Khan, 24, who created a popular quiet quitting video on TikTok, said he started exploring "work reform" and the subreddit r/AntiWork during the Covid-19 lockdown when his job became all-consuming.

"I realized no matter how much work I put in I'm not going to see the payoff that I'm expecting," Khan, a software developer and musician, said in an interview. "Overworking only gets you so far in corporate America. And like a lot of us have experienced in the past few years, mental and physical health really takes a backseat to productivity in a lot of these structured corporate environments."

According to a report released by the American Psychological Association in January, the kind of burnout and stress Khan encountered has hit all-time highs across industries during the pandemic.

Organizational psychologist Ben Granger, head of employee experience advisory services at survey firm Qualtrics, said that quiet quitting can be a way to protect mental and physical health in a toxic work environment. But staying in a miserable job and putting in the bare minimum means giving up the fulfillment that can come from a good one.

For his part, Khan ended up quitting for real for a new manager who respects his work-life boundaries. "He tells me all the time, your health comes first," he said. "If you ever need to take a day off or if you need to ever take need to take some time away... there's so much more than work that we're doing."

Passion projects: Antrell Vining, 25, has a day job as a project manager in the finance industry. As a side hustle after hours, he creates social media content about the tech industry and millennial and Gen Z work life. After dropping out of medical school to pursue a career in tech, he works to help others make similar career changes. With close to 30,000 followers on TikTok, Vining makes money offering career and resume consulting services and through partnerships with companies, he said. For him, quiet quitting means setting boundaries so he has the time and energy to pursue his passion project.

In one video, which satirizes quiet quitting in action, he slams his laptop shut mid-Zoom meeting at 5 p.m. sharp.

A streak of entrepreneurship coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic and a record 5.4 million new businesses were started in the US last year, according to Census data.

"Nowadays, everyone is an entrepreneur of sorts and we would much rather put that extra energy into our own ventures outside of a 9-to-5," Vining said by email. "Once 5 o'clock comes around, I take a breather and get to work on my own stuff or spend some well-deserved time with friends and family," he said. "I like to make content that reminds people that they should do the same."

It's not for everyone: Of course, not everybody is comfortable with quiet quitting. There are many reasons people feel the need to maintain their job at all costs whether it's the health care, the steady paycheck or any of the other benefits that traditional corporate jobs afford. Putting that at risk can be too big a wager to make.

Jha'nee Carter, 38, who calls herself the HR Queen on TikTok, said that quiet quitting has added risks for marginalized groups. "Can minorities afford to do this in corporate America? In my opinion, I'm going to say no," Carter, a business coach and content creator, said in a video.

Structural inequalities remain in many industries throughout the US: Gender and racial pay disparities, as well as a general dearth of diversity in c-suites, are well-documented.

"If you are quietly quitting and you're not going above and beyond, unfortunately in corporate America minorities are held to a different standard," she said. "We are looked at differently, there is unconscious bias still, and so we have to go above and beyond in order to be successful. We can't risk being looked at as not performing, if we are not meeting those expectations, we are the first on the chopping block."

Recession risk: Quiet quitting has gone viral at a time of deep uncertainty in the labor market. With a war for talent and more jobs than workers throughout the economy, employees have had the upper hand over their bosses. But a looming recession and layoffs at high-profile companies like Apple Inc., Peloton Interactive Inc. and Walmart Inc. indicate the balance of power could be tipping.

A new survey by consulting firm PwC found that half of respondents in the US said they're reducing headcount or plan to. A July report from Joblist, a job search platform, found that 60% of job seekers feel more urgency to find a new one now before economic conditions change.

"Corporations are laying people off with a quickness," Carter added in her video. "And so if you have decided to quietly quit, I really hope that you're quietly having a recruiter look for another job for you."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
×