Quiet quitting is a new trend among Gen Z and Millenials who are tired of the hustle culture and the rat race. Although the term has the word "quit" in it, it does not mean resigning. Instead, it means doing only what is asked of them—and nothing more.

While the phenomenon is said to have fizzled out in stagflation-ridden countries, including the United States, there are signs that it is still going strong in Indonesia, where many see it as a way to rebel against the soul-crushing pressure of the professional world. One such person is Ruth from Surabaya, a 23-year-old digital artist who asked only to be identified by her first name.

She said she used to be very hardworking but had been quietly quitting for several months. Ruth elaborated that she could not see any career progression at her company and that she didn’t feel inspired while working.

"For me, it is highly uncomfortable. I don't enjoy doing something without passion," Ruth said.

William, not his real name, is another person who decided to quietly quit the previous company he worked for.

"I suppose I've had my fair share [of quiet quitting], mostly due to work environment pressures," the 22-year-old said.

He also mentioned that he had never developed close bonds with his colleagues at his former workplace. Their relationship never went beyond the professional, and their exchanges only focused on fulfilling tasks and key performance indicators (KPIs).

"Even when I did reach my KPIs well, there was no appreciation. It was just as if my completing my tasks well or early was nothing more than what I was supposed to do and being paid for anyway," he said.

His boss never bothered to ask for his opinions or offer career or self-development opportunities. His work days were filled with doing whatever he was assigned to do based on established standards and reaching his monthly targets.

"Essentially, I had no incentive or drive to deliver more than what I already had to do. So, I became a quiet quitter," William explained.

Overachievers vs quiet quitters: Pictured is an illustration of employees discussing work. According to human resources practitioner Kiara, miscommunication with coworkers can be a prominent cause for quiet quitting, as people's expectations clash with the reality. (Unsplash/Scott Graham) (Unsplash/Scott Graham)

Unheard, unappreciated

William said he would like to give his all and try to deliver more—to explore while he's still young. However, if his work environment doesn't support or appreciate him, he doesn't see the point of working hard.

"In a way, yes. I believe that doing more in my job helps me learn to love it, whatever the job may be or however difficult it is," William said. "But, again, it will be difficult to practice [this belief] if I feel like my extra effort doesn’t contribute to anything significant, both for myself and the company."

The same goes for Ruth, who said that her performance had dropped drastically. She no longer suggested new ideas or drew extra details in her art, and her boss also stopped giving her extra work.

She knew her boss and colleagues had noticed the drop in her performance, but they had not said anything about it.

"For me, doing the bare minimum in my job is a coping mechanism. I'm not in a position to quit, but also not in an optimal position to go above and beyond," Ruth said.

Kevin, who preferred only to share his nickname, an Indonesian sales development representative at a Singaporean tech start-up, said that people should not be ashamed of being quiet quitters.

According to the 23-year-old who works remotely from Depok, quiet quitting is a form of "protest" from those feeling pressure from their hustling peers or employers who demand extra effort but pay them unfairly.

"These protesting people do it to subtly say, 'Hey, you only pay me this much, and I'm going to do exactly what I'm paid for,'" Kevin said.

A root cause: Kevin, a sales development representative at a Singaporean tech start-up, believes the glorification of hustle culture has backfired, resulting in quiet quitting. (Courtesy of Kevin) (Courtesy of Kevin/.)

A small break in an endless grind

Not everyone agrees with quiet quitting.

Kiara, a human resources practitioner in Bekasi, has encountered many quiet quitters.

"I think quiet quitters are driven by the lack of benefits they received for their position," Kiara said, adding that miscommunications could also be a factor—especially regarding the job description and responsibilities.

Although the 25-year-old can sympathize with quiet quitters as a fellow employee, she believes they can cause unnecessary problems for the company. Companies need every employee to do their best to succeed, especially with the competition between businesses increasing.

"When it comes to dealing with quiet quitters, I usually offer them to move to another division or role that may interest them more," said Kiara.

For Kevin, quiet quitting is a response to hustle culture and society's tendency to consider work as the sole purpose of life. The idea that everyone must prioritize their work can create an expectation for everyone to overachieve, leading to unrealistic standards at work.

"I believe [the exaggerated expectations appear because of] the hustle culture and the association of work as a measurement of success and productivity. People began to overwork, trying to achieve insanely high numbers of, in my case, sales deals, sales meetings and revenue generation."

According to Kevin, there are two kinds of people: Overachievers and ordinary people. Overachievers are passionate about their work—sometimes to the point of overworking.

Kiara stated that quiet quitters could also be caught in a "conflict with colleagues who value their career more than anything". These overachievers may view the quiet quitters as lazy loafers. In contrast, the quiet quitters may perceive the overachievers as overbearing annoyances in exchange—effectively killing communication between the two, which companies wouldn't want.

Before that happens, she believes, it is essential for human resources managers to intervene. Kiara herself has to find ways to manage the quiet quitters in her company, and although the efficacy varies, the techniques may re-motivate them and restore their trust in the company and its people.

Nevertheless, for Kevin, the root has always been the corporate culture—something that cannot be handled easily by just a single division.

"The hustle culture and overachievers will always be there, but they're what they are: Overachievers. [On the other end], many people would be okay with just being [average] folk," said Kevin. "Once society and employers have accepted that, they might begin to see that if they want to expect someone to perform highly, they need to match that with sufficient pay. It'll also paint a much more 'realistic' picture of what success should be, in work and personal life.

"The days where work is the measurement of success will be gone, and both employers and employees can find other ways to bring in great business outcomes and make employees happy."

ohmg