Finish on time. Not checking work emails in bed. Manage your workload effectively. These are all hallmarks of a healthy relationship with work and fundamental habits for maintaining balance between our personal and professional lives – or so you might think.
You’ve probably heard of the phrase ‘quiet quitting’ lately, which has become trending since a TikTok user took to the platform to talk about culture. overwork and explain why he decided to withdraw.
“You’re not quitting your job outright, but you’re giving up the idea of surpassing yourself,” the user explained in the post that went viral. “You continue to perform your duties, but you no longer subscribe to the overwork culture mentality that work should be your life. The reality is that it is not, and your worth as a person is not defined by your job. »
Refusal of overwork
Recognizing that the culture of overwork is harmful should be applauded. Subscribing to the idea that our engagement at work is somehow a reflection of our moral status and self-worth is neither healthy nor sustainable, and will only compound issues of burnout, stress, and disengagement. employees who are already affecting the workforce.
But the expression “quiet quitting” (literal translation of “quiet quitting”) is a mistake. She suggests that if you don’t constantly make yourself available for your work, you are lazy and disloyal. She suggests that if you’re not constantly working late, picking up the phone at all hours of the day, or constantly saying “yes” to new assignments regardless of your workload, it’s It’s like you’re not doing your job at all. This suggests that employees must continually make efforts to appease their bosses, even if they receive no recognition for it.
The culture of overwork is a relic of pre-pandemic practices, and the embodiment of much of what is wrong with today’s work mentality. By implying that rejecting the culture of overwork is a form of quitting, we are blaming workers, rather than bad workplaces and the very nature of work.
Finding the balance between professional and personal life
Employees are already experiencing burnout, stress, and presenteeism, which is often a consequence of our modern, always-on-deck work culture. Technology has made our lives easier in many ways, but it has also made work more ubiquitous and harder to disconnect at the end of the day. Likewise, while broadband, software, and mobile devices have made us more productive and efficient as workers, few of these innovations have dramatically lightened our workload – we’re just pushing more work into the same eight hour window, and we get more distracted too.
What we need is a fundamental overhaul of work and work culture – what the ongoing trials of the four-day week in the UK, US and other parts of the world hope to explore. The first indicators are promising.
Excelling in one’s role does not necessarily mean engaging in a culture of overwork. You can be a dedicated and conscientious worker without bringing your work home. In fact, the happiest, most engaged and most productive workers tend to be those with role flexibility and a good work-life balance, not those who spend all their time in the office and become exhausted with the task.
Exit the fear of reprisals
It is the moral responsibility of employers to promote healthy work habits and to clarify that opportunities for growth and development are not tied to hours spent at the office. Employees must be able to log off on time, say “no” to assignments they are unable to handle, and disengage from anything work-related during their free time, without fear of judgment or retaliation . If leaders see employee engagement slipping, that’s a good indicator that something in the workplace isn’t working the way it should. The key is to engage with employees and ask them what needs to be fixed, not to accuse them of “quietly quitting” which might prompt them to quit “loudly” which is the last thing employees want to do. employers need right now.
It’s sad that in 2022, after all we’ve learned about the role of work in our well-being and the many ways to improve it, we’re still using rhetoric that normalizes overwork. Let’s stop accusing workers of being less invested in their jobs and applaud them for recognizing that the culture of overwork only serves bad workplaces and bad work culture.
Instead of castigating employees who step back from roles that don’t reward them, let’s see how we can apply the lessons of the past two years to create more sustainable, equitable and rewarding ways of working.
Source: ZDNet.com