These are the hallmarks of the “quiet break,” a term coined to describe how people approach their work and work life differently to manage burnout. The phrase — which isn’t actually meant to lead to a resignation — exploded into the popular lexicon last week when a TikTok video it went viral. “I recently learned about this term ‘quiet resignation,’ where you don’t completely quit your job, but you give up the idea of going above and beyond,” creator Zaid Khan said in the video, which has since amassed 3.4 million views. The phrase also resonates. While the words “quiet cut” are loaded, conjuring up images of a slacker or unfit for some, others say the approach frees up time to spend with family and friends or to take care of yourself. In short, it’s a renewed commitment to life beyond the workplace. But behind the trend hides a more intense reality. Workers want to be fairly compensated for overtime and work, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates burnout and mental health issues. The ball is squarely in the court of employers, managers and executives, experts say.
New buzzword, same thing
While the term “quiet break” may be a new invention, the mindset behind it is not. The phrase “work to rule”, for example, describes a labor action in which workers strictly perform the work specified in their contract, without taking on additional work. Meanwhile, the diminutive “retired in place” — or RIP — suggests that a worker is mailing it in, doing just the bare minimum to avoid being fired while waiting for retirement benefits. “I kind of laugh about it because, to me, it’s common sense,” said Sararose Werner, a retired tax preparer in Saint John who “quietly quit” about 30 years ago. Sararose Werner, a retired tax professional from Saint John, chose to retire in her 30s after a 50- to 60-hour work week left her mentally drained. (Sararose Werner) “I’ve learned from my own experience that … constantly going above and beyond may earn you a few extra dollars if you’re paid hourly, but it doesn’t necessarily earn you the loyalty of your employer,” Werner said. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic sparked a major economic movement, the Great Resignation, that saw people quit their jobs or change professions en masse as they reassessed their relationship with work during a life-changing health crisis. Zoe. A May 2022 survey by RBC Insurance found that more than a third of recently retired Canadians aged 55-75 had retired earlier than they had planned. Another third decided to retire early because of the pandemic. While Statistics Canada reported in March that the Great Resignation had not really taken off in this country, the agency said the third quarter of 2021 saw a 60% increase in job vacancies compared to pre-pandemic levels. Both the quiet resignation and the Great Resignation indicate a marked cultural shift from the early to mid-2010s, when “hustle culture” gave way to “grinding” and “girl bossing” — ideas that they prioritized work above all else. The belief that this effort made employees more desirable to managers, helping them climb the corporate ladder faster and generate more revenue. WATCHES | Canadians are changing professions due to the pandemic:
Pandemic burnout is prompting workers to rethink their careers
From working long hours to fighting Zoom fatigue, there have been many people who have experienced burnout during the pandemic. Many of them are rethinking their careers as a result — prioritizing their mental health above all else. As the pandemic shuffles into its third year, experts say remote and hybrid models are here to stay, and workers are reevaluating how much time they spend commuting, overtime and generally investing in low-wage, low-reward jobs. “I think what’s happening a lot is that people — particularly a lot of younger people — are taking jobs that are more transactional,” said Tim Magwood, CEO of 1-DEGREE/Shift, an HR consulting firm in Toronto. “So it’s just about work and pay, and there’s no real learning,” he said. “There’s no real sense of purpose.” Most workers have found themselves “working in systems” that don’t consistently reward going above and beyond, said Karen K. Ho, a freelance business and culture reporter based in Richmond Hill, Ont. “Hustle culture has been proven time and time again to only benefit companies and their managers, through bonuses, through increased productivity, through increased revenue and profits, and the like,” Ho said. The workers who drive increased productivity at the bottom end make the same money, she said, while she was told that “the basis for meeting expectations is exceeding expectations.”
The onus is on employers
Some companies require employees to return to office work, which in itself has become a point of contention. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, for example, made headlines in June when he told the company’s employees to go back to the office or lose their jobs. “We’ve seen that people can be productive at home,” Ho said. “We’ve seen that it’s beneficial for a lot of people who are neurodeviant, or have disabilities, or even have caregiving responsibilities, whether they’re older adults, like parents, or young children.” While Statistics Canada reported in March that the Great Resignation had not really taken off in this country, the agency said the third quarter of 2021 saw a 60% increase in job vacancies compared to pre-pandemic levels. (Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada) Werner, who opted to cut back in her 30s after a 50- to 60-hour work week left her mentally taxed, said an employer once suggested she bike and not walk to work so she could put in more hours . “That was long before anyone talked about work [and] he used the term work-life balance,” he said. The term silent termination has also drawn criticism, even from those who generally favor the idea behind it, because it suggests that the employee is lagging behind, rather than the employer. According to Ho, the silent shutdown is a misnomer: It doesn’t take into account the fact that people are watching their grocery bills, fuel costs and home prices rise, often without a pay raise, she said. “You’re literally stagnant because you’re not getting paid more, you’re not getting promoted — and that’s why a lot of people quit their jobs,” he said. The term “quiet resignation” has drawn criticism, even from those who generally favor the idea behind it, because it suggests that the employee is lagging, not the employer. (Submitted by Lawson Health Research Institute) Some workers support policies, benefits and working conditions that promote work-life balance. During the pandemic, advocates in Ontario pushed for a “right to disconnect” bill. Now in place, legislation requires most employers to have a written policy outlining how employees can disengage after work hours. But critics say it doesn’t work as it should, with a glaring loophole that allows employers to profit by vaguely wording their policies. Executives who expect workers to conform to strict work ethic standards after the workplace shifts due to the pandemic are in for a rude awakening, according to Magwood. “We really have to adapt and one-size-fits-all just doesn’t work anymore,” he said. Werner agrees that the pandemic has given people the space to rethink their lives. “With the baby boomers retiring, there are simply fewer workers to fill their positions,” he said. “I think young people are smart enough to realize that it puts their work at a higher price and gives them a little more choice.”
