Unhindered Conversations: How Quiet Quitting Can Lead to Something Good

By now, you’ve likely seen the term quiet quitting all over social media. What started as a 17-second TikTok video has now spiraled into a global culture that fuels fire to the Great Resignation. Bigwigs think it’s another catchphrase for slacking off, with tech mogul Elon Musk famously telling his new employees to work “extremely hardcore” or go home. For ordinary salary people? It’s a lifeline to escape the hustle mentality.

While many business experts caution against doing the bare minimum as a career-ending move, quiet quitters argue that it actually led them to new horizons. We asked Filipina workers from various backgrounds to share their positive experiences with quiet quitting. Read their answers below.

As a supervisor, Lisa saw firsthand how long working hours and high expectations took a toll on her team. She, too, struggled to keep up with the ever-increasing workload. “For many years, I felt like I was working 24/7. Then came the pandemic. It demanded so much of my team, who were already spending parts of their weekends working.”

Quiet quitting, for Lisa, became a form of leadership – one that prioritized the well-being of her subordinates. “People ‘quiet quit’ when they don’t feel they’re getting heard, or they get paid a low salary, yet the work asks for your soul. I would have pushed my team to the brink of burnout if I didn’t recognize their exhaustion and mine,” she recalls. In a way, stepping back was what saved her from emotional distress.

At her current job, Lisa makes sure to set better boundaries and stick to the usual 9-to-5 shift. “I set my phone to ‘Do Not Disturb’ and turn off all notifications, except from family, of course, by a certain hour. But, hey, that’s easier said than done, especially when you have a superior who keeps crossing your boundaries.”

Feeling unhappy at work is unfortunately a problem many grapple with. While you’re encouraged to be open about your job dissatisfaction and give feedback to the higher-ups, speaking up often backfires.

“I had repeatedly raised concerns with my supervisor, only to encounter indifference and even condescension. The work conditions were hard. On average, I was working for around 15 hours a day with no overtime pay,” says Mina, a project manager. 

When she realized she had been spending more time in the office than at home, she knew that she deserved better. She then decided to stick to her core duties and stop going above and beyond her job description. “In my free time, I started looking for other job options, hoping to find a company that respected work-life balance and offered fair pay for my skills. Luckily, I found one.”

Not everyone can afford to quit their job or jump ship without a safety net. So, before you accept a job offer, do a thorough check. “Look at the culture. Ensure that your job description is clearly defined. Assess whether your KPIs are realistic for you,” Mina warns. “Always remember that we work so we can have a life, not the other way around.”

For many young professionals, the early years of their careers are followed by sky-high expectations and age bias. Not to mention the grueling pressure to sprint up the corporate ladder at breakneck speed, which may convince them to put their all at the expense of their personal lives. Does this sacrifice pay off in the end? Not always, at least based on Janine’s own experience as a manager.

“Being passionate does not mean you bawl your eyes out in front of your computer until midnight. At some point, you should draw the line. As cliche as it may sound, there is so much more to life than just work.”

Quiet quitting doesn’t always involve leaving your job. Janine says it can be as simple as setting personal boundaries and being upfront about them. “Do not answer any work-related messages or do work tasks after 6 p.m. Let your colleagues know how important privacy is for you.”

Thanks to this practice, Janine has achieved work-life balance. Plus, it can foster healthy relationships with your co-workers. “You’ll feel respected because people at work can understand not just your personal time, but also the person who you are outside of work–regardless if you're a mom, a gym junkie, someone who makes dinner or night plans on a weekday.”

The consensus among HR professionals is that quiet quitting is damaging and costly to the organization. It leads to low productivity and high turnover in most cases. However, rather than seeing the trend as a problem, HR manager Anj sees it as a signal that the management should be more open and attentive. With enough support, it may serve as an opportunity to boost morale.

“An employee in my former company quiet-quit. She used her spare time to do her passion outside work and recuperate. Soon enough, she was able to catch up with her deadlines and became a high-performing team player.”

There’s a fine line between saying no to extra (and unaccounted) work and deliberately disengaging from your responsibility. The latter proves to be more detrimental than beneficial. “Career-wise, delivering work at a bare minimum will not contribute to your professional growth,” Anj cautions.

If you’re contemplating going the quiet quitting route, Anj has some sage advice.”Identify your priorities. What are your goals? Is this something that will contribute to said goals? Will I be proud of this moment?” As for fellow managers, she highlights that engagement and recognition can build a sense of belonging in the workplace.

No matter how much you love what you do, your job can affect your mental health and vice versa. Just like these Filipinas, you have options to help get your groove back. Even ticking off a simple self-care checklist can work wonders.

Try meditating while showering to clear your mind. Close your eyes and feel every sensation, from the water hitting your scalp to the echo of your voice. A little scalp massage won’t hurt, either, so lather up with Sunsilk Strong & Long Shampoo. It contains biotin and aloe vera that help stimulate healthy hair growth.

Continuing your nighttime/morning skincare routine, use Dove Facial Cleansing Mousse Oil Control Care with 40% Active-boost serum that washes away grime without drying your complexion. It’s suitable for acne-prone skin as it controls oil production and minimizes the appearance of pores.

Finally, apply Vaseline Gluta-Hya Serum Burst Lotion Overnight Radiance Repair all over your body. The non-sticky formula is clinically proven to brighten and plump skin overnight, thanks to its Amino-Peptide Complex and Serum Burst technology.

If you dread going to work or have been feeling more emotional than usual, perhaps it’s time to pause and rethink your next move. Remember that quiet quitting is not a sign of weakness. It simply means you’re shifting your focus back to what matters the most: your happiness.