18 Best TikTok Videos That Explain Why “Quiet Quitting” Is Taking Off
You may have heard—from the same media outcry machine that accused millenials of destroying everything from mass-produced beer to napkins to marriage and divorce—that there’s a new threat to civilization as we know it: quiet quitting. And it seems that millennials’ reign of terror has ended at last because this existential crisis is being blamed on Gen Z and their trusty sidekick TikTok.
According to the viral TikToks being credited with driving the trend, “quiet quitting” means doing the job you were hired to do and that’s it: You don’t complete any unpaid tasks and draw strict boundaries between your work and personal time. Gallup defines quiet quitters as employees who are not engaged with their jobs—or workers who are doing their work, but not putting in energy or passion.
Quiet quitting isn’t limited to Gen Z. A Gallup poll found that about half of the entire workforce is quiet quitting. The loss in engagement had been especially large among workers under 35, but workers 18-35 are only 33% of the U.S. workforce and Gen Z is only part of that demographic.
Many employees, career coaches, and others who talk about jobs online have embraced the quiet quitting trend and steered the conversation toward the hustle culture and dehumanizing work environments that put the onus on employees to draw boundaries, protect their well-being, and avoid burnout. But critics have deemed quiet quitting passive aggressive and even called those who engage in it “lazy AF.”
Even people who support the idea of quiet quitting have argued that the term is misleading—“quiet quitters” aren’t actually quitting their jobs and to suggest that doing only what you’re paid for is somehow wrong is pretty disingenuous on the part of employers. Some have argued that the phrase “act your wage” is more apt, while others think the pre-existing term “work-to-rule” didn’t need a flashy new name.
So what’s really the deal with quiet quitting? We went right to the source to find 18 TikToks that’ll give you a decent rundown on quiet quitting (starting with the video that popularized the term).
1. “You’re not outright quitting your job, but you’re quitting the idea of going above and beyond.”
@zaidleppelin On quiet quitting #workreform ♬ original sound – ruby
2. “Maybe I should look into this quiet quitting thing.”
@johnsfinancetips Quiet quitting, the most recent employment trends. People are just doing their jobs, nothing more! #quietquitting #quitmyjob #newjob #quietquittingmyjob #fintok #moneytok #johnsfinancetips ♬ original sound – John Liang
3. “If the inflation rate is 8.5% and you get a 1% raise, what do employers expect?”
@selenarezvani What do you think about quiet quitting? Let me know in the comments!👇 #quietquitting#quittingyourjob#corporateculture#corporatelife#careertok#careertips#careeradvice#corporatetiktok#leadershiptips#leadershipadvice#corporateamerica#careeradvocacy#selfadvocacy ♬ Hip Hop with impressive piano sound(793766) – Dusty Sky
4. “POV: HR on quiet quitting”
@managermethod #quietquitting #worktok #hrtiktok #pov #worklife #workstress #corporate #hrtok #whattosay ♬ original sound – Manager Method
5. “We should be focused on the countless organizations that routinely and consistently engage in loud failing.”
@hrmanifesto ✨New Trend Alert✨Loud Failing #insanity #quietquitting #loudfailing #employee #engagement #nightmare #corporate #victimblaming #hr #hrmanifesto #greenscreen @wsj @zaidleppelin ♬ original sound – HRManifesto
6. “I don’t love the term quiet quitting because you’re not quitting anything.”
@theseamlesscoach My take on #quietquitting ♬ original sound – Kelsea Warren
7. “Unfortunately, in America, minorities are held to a different standard…if we are not meeting those expectations, we are first on the chopping block.”
@_thehrqueen Can quietly quitting destroy your career? ✨ #hrqueen #quietquitting #iquit #corporateamerica #mentorforu #youngprofessionals #hrlife #hrtok #careertips #careeradvice #careeradvicedaily #leadershipdevelopment #ReTokforNature ♬ Level Up – Kwe the Artist
8. “Quiet quitting is just the Great Resignation without leaving your job. Both have been a gathering storm for decades.”
@theclwill Quiet quitting is neither quiet nor quitting, it’s exhaustion. #leadership #leadertok #quietquitting ♬ original sound – Chris Williams
9. “If you’re thinking about quiet quitting, just understand its limitations.”
@moneywiselawyer
Quiet quitting is an all-or-nothing strategy
♬ original sound – Jay | Student Loan & Debt Law
10. “Would everyone feel better about it if we went mini-golfing after work on Friday?”
@sidneymorss #quietquitting #quietquit #corporate #workplace #satire ♬ original sound – Sidney Morss
11. “Employee loyalty is dead. And I don’t know that it’s a bad thing.”
@jobdoctortessa #stitch with @Sarai Marie The 2 Parts to Quiet Quitting. #quietquitting #corporatetiktok #thejobdoctor #corporateamericaburnout #businesstiktok #workhard #burnout ♬ original sound – Job Doctor Tessa
12. “You have to go beyond not because you’re forced to, not because you have to, but because you want to.”
@cnbcmakeit You shouldn’t try quiet quitting — at least according to Kevin O’Leary. Do you agree? #quietquitting #quietquittingmyjob #kevinoleary #jobadvice ♬ original sound – CNBC Make It
13. “There was chaos…‘cause they were relying on us working [with] half the staff that we actually needed.”
@quinnlbishop #stitch with @Mr. Wonderful do less! Make your life better #quietquitting #quityourjob #workingclass #leftist ♬ original sound – Quinn L Bishop (she/her)
14. “Did you get any bonuses or promotions for going above and beyond?”
@saraisthreads #greenscreen Poor Debrah. #fyp #work #working #corporate #corporatelife #corporatetiktok #corporateamerica #corporatehumor #office #officelife #manager #managersbelike #career ♬ original sound – Sarai Marie
15. “If it’s not working for you anymore, then we go find you something else.”
@j.t.odonnell Replying to @messympath I would NEVER quiet quit, here’s why… #nono #quietquitting #quietquittingmyjob #learnontiktok #careeradvice #jobtok #careertiktok #careermode ♬ original sound – J.T. O’Donnell
16. Gen Z when getting “quietly fired”
@imdrebrown Quiet Firing= Company not giving you a raise or promotion although you meet all the demands of your job description! [NOT ELITE] #youngprofessionals #genz #corporate #quietfiring ♬ original sound – DeAndre Brown
17. “It sounds like healthy boundaries.”
@lauryngreggco Quiet quitting is a scam. Here’s why. #executivedevelopment #lifecoach #businessthoughts #capitalism #quietquitting #healthyboundaries #quietquittingyourjob #settingboundaries #boundariestiktok ♬ original sound – Parenting with Peace | Coach
18. “We all knew the whole time that what we were doing wasn’t sustainable.”
@courageousleadership Quiet quitting is the natural evolution of extreme hustle culture #quietquitting #leadership #hr #toxicworkplace #toxicworkenvironment #burnout #boss ♬ original sound – Robyn