We all must have imagined a scenario that someday we will just stop going to the office without even giving them notice. Guess what, the dream has become now a reality and many people are practising it in different sectors. But of course, they do not just leave the office all of a sudden but they do practice their disinterest in work with so much lethargic tendency there is no need to do so anymore. They do the bare minimum of their assigned role or sometimes just being present in the office for a few hours is the 'duty' they do. This is called soft quitting.
Soft quitting is a term used to describe when an employee mentally disengages from their job but doesn't officially resign. They continue to show up and do the bare minimum required where the supervisor or HR can't point fingers. They show no extra effort, no overtime, and no initiative beyond their basic responsibilities. It's a quiet way of pulling back without outright quitting. It's similar to the idea of "quiet quitting," and usually happens when someone feels burned out, undervalued, unmotivated, or dissatisfied at work but isn't ready or able to leave their job just yet. With an ironic touch to its name, this is the type of quitting that does not create a very 'soft' impact on the employers or the job sector in general. Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2023 Report states the fact of this threat is that about 59 per cent of the workforce is practising quiet or soft quitting in their jobs. And it is to be noted that most of the workers mentioned here belong to a specific generation- Gen Z.
Soft quitting has not been any good for any of the parties- nor the Gen Z employees, nor the corporate employers. And we need to take the matter more seriously to compensate for the damages already done.
The reasons behind soft quitting: Why this culture is specially driving its head up in the corporate workforce, can be answered with different aspects. The different mindset between the already existing work culture and the newly evolving Gen Z employers being one of them does not also cancel other reasons. It is to be noted from The Bangladesh Labour Force Survey 2022, that 84.9 per cent of the total working population is recruited informally in the corporate job sectors and due to the recruitment process, there might not be much attachment to the job. When the job process gets more formal, the soft quitting ratio has the chance to decrease accordingly. But of course, it does not vouch for the places where unhealthy work environments and overworking are appreciated.
In the Bangladeshi corporate world, Gen Z members who were born roughly between 1997 and 2012 are now in full-fledged work motion. They tend to prioritise technology, desire to maintain a work-life balance, and have value-driven career perspectives. These fresh bloods do not just do a job because it is supposed to be so. They wish for passion while doing work. They want clarity from both sides while engaging. And when they see the lack of balance, their urge to do the work diminishes day by day. While some of the Gen Z employees choose to resign, some of them just stay there due to many reasons but they start creating a lethargic response to everything. They are seen not incorporating feedback in their work, not submitting work assignments, being late in meetings, staying silent while asked for any suggestions etc. They seem to be increasingly influencing the workforce and challenging traditional norms where the 'boss is always right' and 'never talk back' cultures have been there for many years.
Improving office culture: Adapting to the changing expectations of Gen Z workers and offering more flexible work arrangements, prioritising mental health, and creating a more supportive and engaging work environment can be some measures to be taken by employers. Any kind of relationship- be it very personal or professional, a clear streak of communication is a must to get things smooth. As Gen Z people are more into stating the facts, organisations should also plan their hierarchies accordingly. Monthly feedback sessions can be arranged where both of the parties can vouch for themselves and get the issues resolved so that there are no undercurrents that can lead to problems such as soft quitting.
Though this is a professional solution, no common formula can always resolve a specific case even in a job sector. If some employee is just psychologically withdrawn from all their responsibilities, it does not apply to them. In those special cases, warnings can be provided and a reverse-notice period system can be started from the office side so that the string of soft quitting gets a closure, even with the harsh tone of termination. Employers also need to understand that Gen-Zs have varied priorities at different stages of their lives. Hence, they also need to find the right people who are distinctively focused on the job either because it matches their career goals or because the job rewards are suitable for them.
The practice of soft quitting often comes from an employee's feeling of stagnation, frustration and underappreciation and this is a very common feeling nowadays. It is quite possible that our previous generations also felt the same thing from time to time but fewer of them did so as they believed there was no other option for them. This is how the jobs became their lives eventually. But our new generation feels differently. They have the confidence that there are more and more opportunities waiting for them and are more entrepreneurial. Many of them keep trying for abroad scholarships and do the job as something optional. Moreover, employees also burn out when they can't compartmentalise study and job or personal life and job at the same time. They hold onto the job till they figure things out. And it is reflected in the workplace. To segregate different tasks and do these at different times while being committed to a professional responsibility is a value that needs to come from both employees and employers. If both of them find common ground to do so, then we can hope that situations such as soft quitting will not be a burning issue anymore and the workforce will flourish with flying colours.
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