Sep 23, 2022 09:00:00

What is the reason why ``quiet retirement'' is a plus for both workers and workplaces?

The pandemic of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and the spread of remote work have given workers the opportunity to rethink the relationship between work and personal life. As a result, in the United States, an increase in unemployed people called '

Great Registration (mass turnover) ' has occurred and has become a social problem. On the other hand, among young people of Generation Z who were born in the late 1990s to around 2010, a phenomenon called ' Quiet quitting ', in which they do not quit their jobs but reduce their dedication to work, is spreading.

WTF is quiet quitting (and why is Gen Z doing it)? - WorkLife
https://www.worklife.news/culture/quiet-quitting/

Quiet quitting: why doing less at work could be good for you – and your employer
https://theconversation.com/quiet-quitting-why-doing-less-at-work-could-be-good-for-you-and-your-employer-188617

When you hear the term 'quiet retirement', you may have an image of retiring silently to others, but it is actually an act close to 'rejection of hustle culture'. A hustle culture is an attitude of putting a lot of passion into one's work in order to achieve personal growth, and sometimes even sacrificing one's private life to perform work that exceeds the requirements given.

In the United States, the hustle culture has been the norm for work for many years, but in Generation Z, more and more people are abandoning their desire to rise and do not do more than the requirements. There have been workers who do not get on the hustle culture for a long time, but the new word quiet retirement has attracted attention on SNS such as TikTok. In a video about quiet retirement, TikTok creator Zayed Khan explains, ``Don't quit your job, just stop doing more than that.''

@zaidleppelin On quiet quitting #workreform ♬ original sound - ruby

``The key message quiet retirement conveys is that we all deserve work-life balance, and work should dominate and stress,'' Khan told workers' media WorkLife. It's not something.' 'I thought there must be people who feel the same way. Even if you worked hard at the company, in a few years, those efforts will be forgotten, and all you'll remember is the sleepless nights you spent.' Rather than that, why not prioritize your own life and hobbies and shift to nurturing more of the things that are important to you?'

On the other hand, Mr. Khan argues that quiet retirement changes the approach and attitude of work, but it is never lazy during working hours. 'The essential point that the quiet retirement movement reinforces is that 'doing your job is enough,'' Khan said.

In a 2022 (PDF file) survey conducted by accounting firm Deloitte Tohmatsu, Gen Z young people cite ``work-life balance'' as a priority when choosing an employer, and 45% are at work. It was also shown that 40% want to quit their jobs within two years. WorkLife believes the concept of quiet retirement has been around for some time, but the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated that trend.

Some managers and executives are wary of the quiet retirement epidemic and are also concerned that employees will be lazy. But Nilufar Ahmed, a senior lecturer at the University of Bristol, points out that quiet retirement is not something to be feared and may be beneficial not only to the workers themselves but also to the companies.

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research has shown that work-life balance is associated with mental health in a variety of jobs, and restoring work-life balance through quiet retirement may also stabilize mental health.

You can also separate your self-esteem from your work by letting go of the work-life value. For people whose self-esteem is based only on their work, if their achievements are not recognized in promotions or commendations, or if they fail at work, they will be damaged internally. In many cases, people try to recover by doing more work, but often fall into a vicious circle of overwork and low self-esteem, Ahmed points out.

Impaired work-life balance can lead to poor mental health and burnout, a loss of motivation and energy for work, which can have long-term negative effects on physical, emotional and mental health. . Burnout causes employees to miss work, underperform, or quit. This is a great damage not only to the person but also to the employer, and a 2022 survey estimates that additional costs of 700 million pounds (about 116 billion yen) are incurred annually in the UK alone.

Therefore, choosing a quiet retirement to restore work-life balance and protect yourself from burnout can be beneficial not only for employees but also for employers. In addition, improved work-life balance can lead to increased happiness, which can lead to increased

productivity, which can have a positive impact on relationships at work.

Ahmed argues that improving work-life balance through quiet retirement can also be liberating from 'Great Registration'. 'People are rejecting overwork and burnout in favor of balance and pleasure.' Encouraging a better work-life balance tells workers that they are valued, leading to increased engagement, productivity and loyalty.'