US Labor secretary says ‘quiet quitting’ trend is overblown

The Secretary of Labor pushed back on the supposed epidemic of “quiet quitting,” calling the post-pandemic phenomenon overblown. 

“I haven’t really heard about it from companies. I know that it’s being reported in the press,” said Marty Walsh in an interview with Yahoo Finance.  “I’ve talked to a lot of companies in the country. And I haven’t heard about that.”

The term ‘quiet quitting’ gained traction on social media this year and refers to when employees put in the bare minimum at work — doing just enough to keep their job but nothing more. 

It has become increasingly topical with the work-from-home revolution, where employees are not in direct view of their bosses. 

A Gallop poll earlier this year found 79% percent of the US workforce are practicing quiet quitting in some form, and a follow-up study from the Conference Board found that “disengaged workers”” are costing US companies as much as $500 billion per year. 

Walsh said that he is still monitoring the situation. 

“Certainly, that’s a concern if it continues on because when people hire people, they expect them to do a day’s work for a day’s pay,” Walsh said. “And I think that’s something that we have to continue to encourage. As I’ve gone around the country this last month, and I’ve done a lot of trips, no company has approached me on this quiet quitting idea.”

The hot-topic phrase has also been attributed to employers who want to shame staff into doing more than what they are paid to do. 

“The term “quiet quitting” is an employer’s way of saying if you just do your job you’re not working hard enough!!,” tweeted Cheri DiNovo, a former member of the Canadian Parliament this weekend. 

Bloomberg published an article about the topic on Saturday under the headline “Your guide to quiet quitting, formerly known as simply working.”