There’s more to quitting than being quiet about it – Mary T. O’Sullivan

By Mary T. O’Sullivan, MSOL

“Gallup’s 2023 State of the Global Workplace Report says almost one in five employees engage in loud quitting — while disengaged quiet quitters made up 59% of the workforce.” Fox Business

            Have you ever heard of “loud quitting”?  Until recently, that moniker remained relatively unknown, although it’s hardly new. And then there’s the old, familiar process of “quick quitting”, being fed up enough to turn in your keys and badge and just walk away without any notice whatsoever. Of course, by now, we are all familiar with the current HR phenomenon known as “quiet quitting, where unhappy employees slowly but surely withdraw themselves from the workplace as long as possible, or until such time as a better offer comes along.  These folks hunker down and “work to contract” never lifting an unnecessary finger at work for any reason. What do these present-day phenomena have in common? Look no further than the “quiet quitters”. Their disgruntlement with toxic working conditions, bad bosses, destructive co-workers reflect their “quitting” style. Others see quitting as their chance to make a point, to speak out, to make themselves recognized after what may be years of neglectful or hurtful treatment and feelings of disregard.

            Apparently, “loud quitting” isn’t that unheard of ever since the dawn of social media. People in the past would often trash their company, co-workers, bosses, and workplace environment online. That used to land people in deep trouble, especially when seeking other employment. But now it seems that online criticism of the workplace is a harbinger of the employee’s intention to quit if the person hasn’t been fired already. The Gallup survey opened a lot of eyes in the HR world. Suddenly, organizations had to come to grips with public derision in the face of 20% of their once loyal employees. According to a story from Good Morning America, “a person who is loud quitting may send disruptive emails or make ‘inappropriate outbursts’ at work. Outside the office, the employee may post on social media, for example, about internal company decisions and policies or negative communications with managers.” The piece goes on to say that many of these grievances have been expressed frequently by the complaining employee as well as others in the company many times over but have gone ignored. The employee feels he or she has no other recourse except to bitterly and publicly broadcast their injustices, real or imagined.

Personally, I have never run into anyone who committed “loud quitting”. I surely would have advised against it. It may feel really good at the moment, but it leaves a trail of collateral damage that litters the person’s career path with debris that may be difficult to clean up. After all, we know that nothing is ever completely erased from the internet. And what do new employers or college admissions officers do when researching potential candidates? They check out the online presence, all of it. Future employment can be impacted by publicizing all the negative feelings you had about your old job. Best to prevent career suicide and keep your work issues private.

            As for the “quick quitter”, this is the person that rips off the band aid. There may be one incident or an accumulation of incidents, but one day, the person has had enough and walks out the door. I had a client years ago who was a “quick quitter”. She was a restaurant manager at a large chain and had disagreements with the chef. One day, she lost her temper and threw done her keys and left in a huff. Without a plan, she soon discovered finding another job was not so easy. She drained her 401K and was behind in her mortgage payments. Her son and his girlfriend and their baby were living in her home, and she was supporting them. She finally took a job with the post office, which was more stable, and had the benefits she needed, although she felt this job was below her.

            In today’s strong labor market, quick quitting occurs when unhappy workers are not content to wait a year or longer to find a better job.  These workers are not merely walking out without notice, they are leaving in less than a year after being hired.  According to Forbes, workers are taking into consideration their physical and mental health more than workers in the past did. With a whiff of a toxic workplace or a bad boss, these people are gone, and yes, they may just “ghost” the employer, and not show up one day.  The workforce is changing after COVID and people are less likely to stay at a job that doesn’t offer the flexibility they need, especially if childcare is an issue. More childcare centers closed down for good during the pandemic, making parents struggle to accommodate work and children. More often than not, employees are choosing remote or hybrid work or may even elect to stay home with their kids than jostle childcare options.  Gas prices and other inflationary pressures also add to the desire for more accommodating work choices. Forbes states that in today’s world, what used to be a pejorative, “job jumping”, is now far less stigmatized. Employers now realize that a poor cultural fit or need for flexibility are perfectly valid reasons to switch jobs, even careers.  Additionally, a recent Forbes article quotes a report by ADP Research Institute which “indicated that two-thirds of the workforce would consider looking for a new job if required to return to the office full-time.”

            The bottom line is that the pandemic dramatically changed work. In many cases, going back to the way it was in 2019 is gone forever. Both employers and employees had to make great adjustments and sacrifices to keep the jobs going and income flowing over the last three years. Organizations that value their employees must be ready to change with the times if they want to keep their talent engaged and focused, and to avoid nasty surprises like quiet, loud, or quick quitting.

“There is a difference between giving up and knowing when you’ve had enough” – Anonymous

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Mary T. O’Sullivan, Master of Science, Organizational Leadership, International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach, Society of Human Resource Management, “Senior Certified Professional. Graduate Certificate in Executive and Professional Career Coaching, University of Texas at Dallas. Member, Beta Gamma Sigma, the International Honor Society. Advanced Studies in Education from Montclair University, SUNY Oswego and Syracuse University. Mary is also a certified Six Sigma Specialist, Contract Specialist, IPT Leader and holds a Certificate in Essentials of Human Resource Management from SHRM.