Early Burnout Is The Catalyst For Quiet Quitting

The term ‘Quiet Quitting’ has blown up over TikTok this past month as workers reveal their attitudes to ‘above and beyond’ working.

While there isn’t an official definition, the term usually revolves around setting boundaries and only working your contracted hours. It’s not actually about quitting, but more about pulling back from habits of overworking — something that often leads to burnout.

Three in five Gen Z-ers have experienced burnout whilst employed, according to a recent Student Beans survey. We also found:

• 74% of Gen Z agree with the idea of ‘Quiet Quitting’
• 78% of Gen Z who have experienced burnout at work agree with Quiet Quitting, vs just 65% of those who have not experienced workplace burnout
• 65% say they agree with Quiet Quitting, as a healthy work-life balance is important
• 22% say Quiet Quitting is fair, and you should just work the hours you’re paid to do.

Burnout leads to ‘acting your wage’

Three quarters (78%) of those with burnout experience agree with Quiet Quitting. However, for the quarter (27%) who haven’t experienced a burnout, those in favor of Quiet Quitting drops to 65%.

AKA, those who have faced challenges at work are therefore more protective of their time outside of their job.

Two-thirds (65%) of young Americans say the trend is all about balance, admitting that a good work-life relationship is important, whilst a fifth (22%) say they think employees should strictly work the hours they’re paid for.

It all comes down to the money

Pay is important to young people, with Generation Z voting a ‘good salary’ as the most important factor when searching for a career.

Three quarters (77%) of Gen Z have had a job in the past year, and of the 26% of those who have quit this job, most (46%) admitted their resignation was down to poor pay.

Jessica Pinkett, Head of Youth Insights at Student Beans, said: ‘With burned out Gen Z-ers more likely to entertain the idea of quiet quitting, it’s important that young people are treated with respect in the early days of any employment.

‘Gen Z know their value in the workplace as the new generation of skilled thinkers with a fresh perspective on their industries. Fostering a desire for healthy work-life relationships and fair pay, this generation is in full control of what they want from a job, and will leave a workplace if it doesn’t fit with their vision.

‘Employers need to be prepared to offer industry-standard pay and flexible working as a bare minimum if they want to see their new Gen Z workers stick around for the long haul.’

Dealing with quiet quitting mentality

If you’ve hit a lull in your workplace, and you’re not sure what to do, here’s some routes you can take:

• Get more involved with relevant professional networks, it’ll help you get an idea of what your pay and responsibilities look like within the wider industry.
• Have the conversation with your boss about roles and responsibilities, and make sure both parties are clear on what is expected within your contracted hours. If you’d like to earn more pay too, work with the boss to create an official roadmap to achieving that well-earned promotion.
• Speak to your HR department if you are worried about toxic environments in the workplace making you feel pressured to work after hours.
• If you’ve been left burnt out with no passion for your work, maybe try dabbling in setting up a side hustle to see if you can regain that spark.
• Sometimes the grass is always greener on the other side. Refresh your resume and have discussions regarding open vacancies at other businesses. This can be useful to get a feel for other places of employment and can help you figure out if you actually want to leave your current work or not.

For more career advice, visit the Student Beans Academy which shines a light on workplace inclusivity, diversity job schemes, and other important topics.

Student Beans surveyed 1227 16-24 year olds in August 2022