A young engineer in his early twenties named Zaid Khan filmed a video clip of only 17 seconds, and posted it last month on the Tik Tok application, and it got millions of views upon its launch, and is still reaping more of them as of this writing.
With the sound of a piano playing a ragtime-style tune, and shots of summertime New York flashing across the screen;
Khan tells his story and his idea, and says, "I recently learned about the new term called 'silent resignation', where you don't completely quit your job, but you give up the idea of going further; you still perform your duties at work, but you no longer participate and believe With the “work is all your life” culture, it is not, and your personal value is not determined by your work.
Since this video was released, and over the past weeks;
The concept of "silent resignation" has exploded across media outlets around the world, NPR (npr.org) said in a recent report.
In other words, silent resignation does not really mean to quit a job, but rather to do the minimum required at work, a term that describes the focus of employees on specific working hours and the completion of tasks associated with the job description only.
Corona has changed people’s relationship with work, especially the younger generation (Pixels)
Generation Z has helped spread the term among young people, and signs of silent resignation can take various forms, including refusing to respond to emails outside work hours or on weekends, skipping extra tasks outside of their primary duties, and not attending meetings. arriving late or leaving early, and contributing less to team projects.
According to a recent survey conducted by the company "Axios and Generation Lab", which focused on the relationship of "Generation Z" to work;
82% of survey respondents said doing a minimal amount of work to keep their jobs was "very nice or attractive", while 15% said it was what they actually do.
setting limits
In Japan, there is a concept called "shkunin", which refers to a craftsman who dedicates his life to his craft, always striving for perfection in what he does or makes.
Silent resignation is just the opposite, and it is about doing the minimum effort in order to secure a living, not the pursuit of perfection or creativity at work.
Silent resignation is a term related to setting boundaries, meaning that you complete the tasks you are supposed to complete while they pay you to do them, and without any extra effort, no more blindly obeying your boss or clients in everything they ask of you, no more nights Work at home, on weekends, or constantly check your email.
Silent resignation simply means doing work with minimal effort (Shutterstock)
Reasons for silent resignation
The Corona epidemic has transformed people’s relationship with work, especially the younger generation who have contributed to the backlash against the culture of “work dedication”;
The COVID-19 pandemic has not only disrupted most aspects of life for long periods of time, but has also made many people rethink their career choices and ways of living.
This resulted in what is known as the “Great Resignation”, as 71.6 million people left their jobs in America only from April 2021 to April 2022, which is equivalent to 3.98 million people who quit per month, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the number reached in Last June, it reached 4.2 million people, and the process is still continuing, to recently evolve into the concept of "silent resignation", which is the new way of doing work with minimal effort.
In fact, the practice is nothing entirely new. Workers have quietly left their jobs for years to look for something new, whether it's because of poor wages, an uncontrollable workload, burnout, lack of growth opportunities, or a lack of appreciation before heads and managers.
And 7 out of 10 employees experienced burnout last year, according to the 2022 Asana report. The results of the report also showed that employees who experience burnout are less involved, make more mistakes, leave work, and are more at risk of low morale.
But the pandemic has put the concept of "silent resignation" in the spotlight, turning work culture on its head, as more people have had time to think and question their jobs, and seek more work-life balance.
According to a LinkedIn report on "Global Talent Trends" for the current year, people are now turning to social media to vent their feelings and frustration at work, as Zaid Khan did on Tik Tok as mentioned above.
Another 2021 Gallup poll found that only 36% of people reported being actively involved in their job, and many of them stay and look for a different job to improve their lives while earning a steady salary, maintaining health insurance, or any other benefits that their job offers them. in which they work.
“Teleworking” has also changed the dynamics of the workplace;
Because employees and managers communicate in different ways through online meetings on platforms like Zoom.
These interactions are more formal than office chat sessions, because they need to be scheduled rather than impromptu. Limited meetings can cause disconnection between employees and management, and regular support and praise that makes employees feel appreciated by their managers and colleagues for the effort they put in can be lost. They are doing at work.
Those who engage in silent resignation feel pain, bitterness, and resentment toward their managers as a result of fatigue and lack of appreciation (Shutterstock)
How do you deal with your desire to resign silently?
Silent resignation may help relieve fatigue at work in the short term, but it is not a long-term solution, as experts confirm in statements recently reported by CNBC, and the following are the most important of it:
be active
Achieving a better work-life balance is important, but Michael Timms, chief human resources specialist at Inspiri, stresses that employees should continue to participate in an activity at work. You spend in your job should be effective.. In this way, you will continue to grow, develop your skills and benefit from the experiences offered by others who have more experience and knowledge, and you may rediscover your lost creativity and passion that may bring you more happiness.”
Take control
Career coach Kelsey Watt has observed that people who engage in silent resignations feel pain, bitterness, and resentment toward their bosses and employers, as a result of exhaustion and lack of appreciation. It means that managers should appreciate the effort that employees put in their companies, and work to provide comfort in the work environment.”
"Despite all this, silent resignation is not a solution, nor will it be sustainable in the long term, because it does not give a greater sense of purpose than gaining recognition at work or self-respect," Watt added.
Jaya Das of Randstad said employees should take ownership of their growth and figure out why they are feeling overwhelmed, or why they need to quit silently.
"People are quick to say I'm unhappy, but why are you unhappy? What can make you happy? A very difficult question."
If you don't talk to your manager or the owner of the company and keep your feelings secret, it will never move (Free Beck)
Talk to your boss
While some employees have taken to social media to express the reason for their silent resignations, labor experts advise that they should speak to their bosses instead.
“The really scary thing about the phenomenon of silent resignation is that managers and people inside the company don't know it, and people who aren't at work know it,” Dass said.
It is "irresponsible", the career coach Watt added, to resign silently without having conversations with the employer about your needs, what you lack and the current challenges you face.. If you don't talk to your manager or the owner of the company and keep your feelings secret, the matter will never move.
For her part, Dr. Natalie Baumgartner said, "The silent resignation is a cry from the employee for help, and it is important that employers and managers listen to this cry, and take real action to remedy the situation and improve the work environment."
"It is very important to talk to your managers if you feel unappreciated at work or tired and stressed, and even if the conversation is uncomfortable for you, it is important to express your opinion and feelings, and be honest and clear in your speech," she added.
And yet, are you uncomfortable in your job and feel the urge to quit silently, and put the least effort into your work?
Instead of resigning, we advise you to talk to your manager or employer, as he may find a solution that you thought did not exist at all.