‘Don’t perform at more than 40 per cent’

Quiet quitting is a thing among young professionals in their 20s and 30s who’d rather focus on leisure than being outstanding performers. Pic/Getty Images

If you die on the job, hypothetically, you are just another cog in the wheel," says 24-year-old Rushabh Roymon, who works in the IT sector as cloud/tech support. Roymon is one of the many young professionals across the world who has been treating his job his job like well, a job - no extra work, no overtime…just putting in the bare minimum. This trend of quiet quitting is on the rise among professionals in their 20s and early 30s. On TikTok, the hashtag #quietquitting has gained more than 8.2 million views.

According to an article that appeared in the New York Times earlier this month, this is what the trend means: "For some, it was mentally checking out from work. For others, it became about not accepting additional work without additional pay." A 29-year-old copywriter who didn't wish to be identified for this article, says it is a combination of both. "You are putting in extra hours and effort, and you are not paid for those extra pitches. Very rarely does a pitch actually convert [into business]," she says.

Rushabh Roymon, a 24-year-old IT professional, works his 9-hour shift only to earn enough to survive and spend on making music

"Why would you put in extra hours when job satisfaction is not enough validation?" After about seven years in the industry, putting that extra effort feels unnecessary.
Andheri resident and project manager at a US banking firm, believes that in large companies, the management also knows that "only four out of 10 will work hard, while the rest just hang around… and it's okay to get lost in the crowd," he says. After 15 years, he doesn't work for job satisfaction. "The only incentive is money and time to spend that money," says the Andheri resident. In his leisure hours, he explores Mumbai through heritage walks. He works on UK time, so his shift is from 1.30 pm to 10.30 pm, but but the staff begins winding up by 9.30-9.45 pm. He says he has managed to ensures that no extra work comes to him. Read that again. He means he has set expectations. "If you work at 40 per cent of your capacity, you can hang around; if you work at 60 per cent capacity, you outshine others," he explains. "The moment you go above 40 per cent, you attract people and work. You have to lie low." The management has encouraged him to join various committees within the organisation, but he has ducked all attempts so far.

Roymon also believes that if a supervisor recognises that a person goes above and beyond the call of duty, they would keep approaching her/him. "My supervisor has contacted me on my week off," says Roymon. "If I had gone to work then, I would set unrealistic expectations by working more than expected and could be taken for granted." He works on a rotational shift, and is mostly assigned the night shift. He punctiliously logs out when nine hours are done. If he has not been able to take his hour-long meal break, he logs out 60 minutes early even though it makes the management frown. He creates music in his time off. "My job gets me the money to help me survive, and to invest in something significant and personal [music]; otherwise, I am very disposable," he shrugs. "I give my time, take the money and work just enough to keep me floating."

Mugdha Pradhan

A Pune-based health and wellness startup, promotes work-life balance. "A person's life shouldn't revolve around work," says Mugdha Pradhan, functional nutritionist, CEO and founder of iThrive, a Pune-based health and welless startup that promotes work-life balance, says, "A person's life shouldn't revolve around work. We help employees understand that while we put in eight hours at work, there are other aspects to life - relationships, health, social network, family. Career is just one aspect." Pradhan believes a strict 9 to 5 policy enhances focus and brings in better experiences at work. "Many people joined a gym, pursued hobbies, and crafted a better social life [after coming to us]," she says.

The ones, who are okay working long hours and going the extra mile, tend to do it purely out of passion. Quiet quitters prefer to go unnoticed. Case in point: The project manager enjoyed his previous job, even though it paid less and demanded more, as it let him pursue his passion: Travel. "You are ready to compromise when you do things you are passionate about, but when you work for money, for money, you don't."