PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Over the past few months, the idea of punching clocks and lighting candles at both ends has slowly faded away.
What many already use as borders is becoming a growing trend among the working class on TikTok.
“I would say it’s a growing phenomenon,” says business analyst Dr. Risa Kumazawa.
It’s called a quiet layoff, where people who aren’t always ready to give up but feel fed up with the seemingly useless culture of a hectic workforce no longer go out of their way to impress their bosses.
“I’ve definitely said no to a lot of things that are out of my control,” said Mary Kate Kahl of Cleveland. “I just think a lot of people are asking too much because they don’t have enough staff. I’m on my way to an interview right now. They are in despair. They need me.”
Business experts believe this trend is due to the pandemic, when many people were forced to work remotely and wondered: was the standard 9 to 5 work model they previously used really sustainable?
“I think people just want to be appreciated,” Kumazawa said. “And so there probably needs to be more communication between workers and their employers.”
Also, knowing that there are plenty of other vacancies out there may not make you want to fight for the job you already have.
“It has something to do with great submission,” Kumazawa said. “The fact that the job market is working well and the fact that there are many opportunities if you decide to quit your job and go somewhere else.”
We also reached out to a therapist to see if there were any mental health benefits from chiming. First, of course. But in the long run, you probably aren’t actually solving problems to improve your working conditions.
So there are some obvious personal and mental health benefits to not giving up at work, but before you get carried away, experts warn that taking extreme measures can come with some consequences.
“When the economy goes down, which can happen because we already had two quarters of negative GDP growth, you can leave first,” Kumazawa said.
“When you look at teams and teamwork, someone else has to fill that gap. So it affects other people.”
Despite this, experts believe that some of the shifts in what is considered a good work ethic and what is not are generational, with Gen Z becoming more aware of the importance of work-life balance.
And since the future of the workforce is in their hands, perhaps now is the time for employers to start listening and think about making some necessary changes.
Royce Jones
