BossLady: Quiet quitting is the quickest way to sabotage your career

BossLady Amanda Rose says Australian workers jumping on the quiet quitting trend may feel like they are taking back control, but in reality they are sabotaging their careers.

Quiet quitting is sabotaging careers across Australia.

The trend, which sees workers doing the bare minimum in their jobs before eventually leaving, is being disguised as a sense of freedom.

But for Millennials and Gen Z who are being caught up in it, it’s giving them the false concept that it’s OK to just come in at 9 and leave at 5 and only do the work on your job description.

And that is fine, but don’t ever expect a promotion, a pay rise or to be given more opportunities in your career.

STRATEGIC WORK

The term quiet quitting was coined after people claimed they were overworked and were “taking back their time”.

And, of course, I am not saying you should ever be overworked and not appreciated for the job you do, but the real problem is these people have not been taught how to be strategic and take advantage of it for their next job.

Instead, they are turning up at 9am on the dot, not answering work calls after hours, refusing to take on extra projects, failing to network, and not engaging in meetings – which is all essentially being dismissive.

Only doing the bare minimum at work will not set you up for the rest of your career.

MIDDLE GROUND

In the current jobseeker’s market, people blindly believe there will be another job waiting for them if they decide to leave.

It doesn’t always work that way and it’s dangerous to assume it will.

We are seeing two extremes in workplaces right now. Those employees that are being overworked, pressured to do more and feeling massive anxiety when the bosses call and they want you to work late, take on more or work on the weekends.

And now we have gone to the other extreme with quiet quitting.

There needs to be a middle ground. Unfortunately, there’s a whole generation that has not been taught how to operate in that middle ground, and they are left questioning which way to go.

Quiet quitting is not the answer.

Do you have a work query for Amanda? Email [e-mail]

* Amanda Rose is the founder of Small Business Women Australia, a key mentor and career adviser.

Originally published as BossLady: Quiet quitting is the quickest way to sabotage your career