THE DEBATE. ‘Quiet quitting’: a healthier way of working or the death knell for entrepreneurial spirit? | Work

The new trend would mainly apply to young workers: in their twenties and thirties. “Millennials grew up in smaller families, in prime economic times where the parents were well off. Their parents had a lot to give and they did. Actually, Gen Y is ‘shit spoiled’”, says professor Van Rossem.

Moreover, according to Van Rossem, millennials don’t really feel the need to be ‘the best’ because they didn’t grow up with that idea. “It’s about late twenties and thirties getting married, having children and building a house. They have received a lot of attention from their parents and so in turn want to give more attention to their family. They think luxury is very important. The fact that they will not be promoted with their work attitude and therefore will not earn extra does not seem to bother them much,” says Van Rossem.

Some employers, on the other hand, are annoyed by the new trend. While overtime used to be considered normal, quiet quitters work a maximum of eight hours a day, not a second longer. “It’s just about ‘enjoying’. Overtime is a dirty word for many. They have to be home in time to relax, to practice their hobbies. You used to adapt your hobby to your work, now it’s the other way around,” says Rob. “But woe betide if you, as a business manager, who works at least 80 hours a week, can afford something extra. Then you get the comment that we profit from their sweat.”

A good balance between hard work and relaxation: according to Eric Laureys, that is the essence. The Voka spokesperson emphasizes that employees must ensure that their job also makes them happy. In other words, anyone who has a job that he or she likes will not have to ‘quiet quitting’.

“Whoever cuts corners will leave before staying on board,” Laureys adds. Due to the tight labor market, bosses are less likely to fire someone, according to the spokesperson. “Nowadays you don’t think twice, but four times before you fire someone. However, this makes the ‘quiet quitting’ attitude unacceptable and the question is how long this tightness in the labor market will last”, it sounds.

Jan Denys also confirms that employees already have to do a lot of wrong to be fired. Unemployment is at an all-time low and many companies are struggling with staff shortages, putting workers in a powerful position.

“As an employee you have to let it go before you are fired”, says Denys at ‘De Morgen’. “Of course, that doesn’t just apply to young people.”

Professor De Vos believes that perseverance within a company is crucial. “Those who are only concerned with ticking boxes may not be thinking about the bigger picture. Innovation, productivity and involvement are communicating vessels”, she underlines at ‘De Morgen’.

However, there are also many employees who do not feel valued by their supervisors. As a result, they think it doesn’t matter much whether they work themselves to death or not. “That leads to a bit of alienation. Within those large structures, they do not see the result of their work or feel the gratitude of a customer,” says De Vos.