You might have seen some news articles or even Tiktoks about the ideas of quiet quitting and quiet promotion. But, what are they really? 

Quiet promotion is when bosses and superiors assign more work and responsibilities to their employees without giving them a higher title or pay raise. It simply puts more work and extra hours on workers without more money to match it. But while this idea is becoming more talked about now, it isn’t new or trendy. “It’s basically what has been existing within corporate culture as long as corporate culture has been alive and well,” as the website Cheezburger sums up. 

Of course when you first start at a company, your plan is to work extra hard, show your employers that you’re reliable, and climb the corporate ladder. But if you’re working at a job simply to make end’s meet and you know your boss isn’t planning on promoting you anytime soon, working overtime can be exhausting and fruitless. 

Learn more about quiet promoting here: Employee realizes he’s been given more responsibilities with no pay raise – Cheezburger

WNow, let’s discuss quiet quitting. The philosophy of quiet quitting is simply working within the exact and strict parameters of your job for the exact hours you are hired to be there. No more time, no extra work. As TikToker Zaid Khan (@zaidleppelin) explains, “You’re still performing your duties but you’re no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life.” So, where and how did quiet quitting get its start? The term was first used by Mark Boldger in 2009 when he was giving a speech discussing workers’ detachment in Venezuela. A movement similar to quiet quitting known as tang ping, or “lying flat”, gained traction in China 2021 when citizens began fighting against their long and difficult working hours.

Finally, earlier this year Zaid Khan’s TikTok about quiet quitting went viral and the concept became extremely popular.Now, you might be thinking: Quiet quitting just sounds like doing your job… isn’t it just the basics? 

The American culture of living to work rather than working to live is corporate propaganda hidden behind the guise of the American dream. Companies like to push the idea that work is the main part of life and that downtime for your mental health is a privilege that only the uber-wealthy get to enjoy.

Quiet quitting’s negative connotation implies that working to the extent of your job description to leave time for yourself is lazy and poor employeeship, and the name itself doesn’t help its bad reputation. By calling the philosophy “quiet quitting”, listeners will think of it as not participating in your job at all; basically quitting without making it a statement! But as I’ve already said above, there’s no resignation in quiet quitting. And as Khan expressed, “The reality is, [work is not your life] and your worth as a person is not defined by your labor.”

Learn more about quiet quitting here:

Quiet quitting – Wikipedia

The economics behind “quiet quitting” – NPR

Is Quiet Quitting Real? – Gallup (this article is against quiet quitting)