Nowadays, the term "quiet quitting" has taken over the Internet, meaning lying flat, or taking a break from the overwork. It appears to have originated from a TikTok video posted by Brian Creely. Creely showed an Insider article written by senior reporter Aki Ito. The headline read, "Fed up with long hours, many employees have quietly decided to take it easy at work rather than quit their jobs." Creely said, "More people are quiet quitting instead of leaving." The video has received nearly 100, 000 likes and more than 4, 000 comments, the vast majority describing the benefits of doing the bare minimum.
Despite a number of news outlets reporting that quiet quitting is a trend that is being encouraged, Insider found many users on the app were actually warning people against doing so.
Ashley Herd, a former employment lawyer, posted two videos about quiet quitting. In her videos, she argued that while limiting work to what is specified in the job description is fine, doing so quietly can be detrimental. "If someone is stressed out, they should feel able to have that conversation with their manager, " she said.
A TikToker and consultant Mary posted a video titled "Minorities should be careful quiet quitting". In the video she said, "Unfortunately in America minorities are held to a different standard. We are looked at differently. So we have to go above and beyond to be successful. We can't risk being regarded as not performing."
In recent weeks, TikTokers have been warning workers that quiet quitting could lead to "quiet firing", labeled as a new workplace trend. The phrase describes the longstanding practice of constructive dismissal—creating an environment that leads a worker to quit their job in order to avoid having to fire them. Creators are receiving hundreds of thousands of views that post about quiet firing and call out managers who employ the practice.
