The great silent resignation, following the great resignation

There's nothing wrong with doing the bare minimum as far as job requirements are concerned, in my opinion. You're paid to do 'X', providing 'X' is done then if you don't want to go above and beyond then don't, you certainly won't get any praise for it in my experience.
I think there is a very big difference in putting yourself out there at work and making yourself seen, at work, vs. taking work home and letting it rule your life outside of work. I work on the basis that, if I am going to be doing something that is higher visibility, higher priority and more impact, than something else, I'll drop that something else. That can wait. If the person has an issue with that, I'll get someone else to look at it, or they can wait. More often or not, they will wait.

You can do a lot with the 8hrs a day you have. You just have to be willing to drop **** you don't think will be the highest impact.
 
Really interesting post.

I am a senior/mid level manager (VP corporate grade) and whilst the money is good, especially for my age and where I live, sine the pandemic I have become more and more detached from corporate life and find myself wanting to find a "get out". Although I wouldn't stop working. More likely work for myself doing something considerably lower paid. Possibly totally different. Finances just don't currently allow, so on a path to enabling this to happen.

I think people have just re-assessed what is important to them. For me it's about no longer listening to the corporate nonsense and people who have no skill other than to say "do more" with no ideas of their own. Or quite often worse than having no ideas, having terrible ones because they are so far detached from the reality of the job.
 
Really interesting post.

I am a senior/mid level manager (VP corporate grade) and whilst the money is good, especially for my age and where I live, sine the pandemic I have become more and more detached from corporate life and find myself wanting to find a "get out". Although I wouldn't stop working. More likely work for myself doing something considerably lower paid. Possibly totally different. Finances just don't currently allow, so on a path to enabling this to happen.

I think people have just re-assessed what is important to them. For me it's about no longer listening to the corporate nonsense and people who have no skill other than to say "do more" with no ideas of their own. Or quite often worse than having no ideas, having terrible ones because they are so far detached from the reality of the job.

Mate this is essentially me. That's exactly how I feel and how it made me reassess my life. I am equally in a very good position, do well, good money etc. and I'm super grateful for that, I just feel like, "is this it?"
I used to slave away for work all hours and chase a title I really don't care about these days.

I was shocking in my 20s with money and paying the price for that, but at the same time at 36, I too have come up with a plan to rebalance my life.

I am working this from a few ways: Looking at different ways to maximise my $$ for my time. Build out ways to create $$ streams not linked directly to my time. Maximise current take home. Reduce liabilities. I have also created an investment plan, with stages I want to hit over the next x years.
Whether it works or not, who knows, but it's a plan anyway to start. I also do not want to sacrifice today for a potential tomorrow. By that I mean, I could lump way more money into investments but never go away, not do anything, but I don't want that. Anything could happen and while I have a plan, part of that plan is maximizing the value out of my time. A part of that is experiencing the world. Seeing family etc.

Would love to know what you have laid out as your plan, I find this stuff really interesting.
 
Mate this is essentially me. That's exactly how I feel and how it made me reassess my life. I am equally in a very good position, do well, good money etc. and I'm super grateful for that, I just feel like, "is this it?"
I used to slave away for work all hours and chase a title I really don't care about these days.

I was shocking in my 20s with money and paying the price for that, but at the same time at 36, I too have come up with a plan to rebalance my life.

I am working this from a few ways: Looking at different ways to maximise my $$ for my time. Build out ways to create $$ streams not linked directly to my time. Maximise current take home. Reduce liabilities. I have also created an investment plan, with stages I want to hit over the next x years.
Whether it works or not, who knows, but it's a plan anyway to start. I also do not want to sacrifice today for a potential tomorrow. By that I mean, I could lump way more money into investments but never go away, not do anything, but I don't want that. Anything could happen and while I have a plan, part of that plan is maximizing the value out of my time. A part of that is experiencing the world. Seeing family etc.

Would love to know what you have laid out as your plan, I find this stuff really interesting.

I only have three years on you, so not dissimilar age and been working in my industry for 20 years now. I am currently in the process of disposing of most of my possessions - Not full on Elon Musk style, but more clearing out things that were kept for the sake of it. Looking at things learning the lessons of "why did I waste money on that" (similar to you with my money in my 20's despite working in financial services......) and clearing out "stuff" so that I just have the things that I use and need around me. We are doing the same at my partners house and then I am selling up, clearing my debts, moving in together and then saving HARD to buy ourselves a place in the country. I have assessed what outgoings I have to remove anything which isn't neccessary. If there is any "item" which is going to be bought which has to enter the home, I am questioning "do we NEED this / do we REALLY need this" and if the answer is no then it doesn't get bought.

It sounds boring, but I have a teenage daughter and between myself and partner we have 6 dogs - Most of our time is taken up with them and what other time we have is either at the gym / swimming pool or watching box sets / a bit of gaming, and a table top game night once a week. We get out and about a lot too and genuinely don't really "need" much as our wellness comes from being out in the world. Being able to have our own space we own to do this is the goal. Poly tunnel, veg patch - that sort of thing. Ideally we would like around 4 acres, with half of that being utilised for an income stream -Secure dog walking field hire for example and maybe a holiday let if we can find something appropriate.

I am pretty sure that I will be made redundant at some point in the medium term (in the last 8 years I have been under consultation for redundancy 5 times and made redundant once) given that banking is becoming less physical and more digital and so really I will just keep going until that happens (unless it becomes totally unbearable) and max out on the sharesave plans and decent salary. I am currently studying for a second diploma to give me wider options for when the time comes, so I will have options to move into self employment in either mortgages, insurance or investment advice - either way it will be working for me on my terms.

I always thought i had my **** together at a young age - Had my first house at 20, senior job grade by 34 - Shame it took me this long to realise it wasn't what I wanted in life :cry:
 
I saw this labelled as "quiet quitting" recently: https://metro.co.uk/2022/07/29/coul...er-to-burnout-what-you-need-to-know-17085827/

I've been in a general malaise for a while now where I feel dissatisfied with work but I also feel like in some ways when viewed objectively things are better than they used to be. More money, less stress and working from home most of the time.
I think a good way to look at it is to think about how you yourself would have viewed your current situation 5 years ago, 10 years ago etc. With that lens on things, I really shouldn't have much to complain about. Perhaps an element of underutilisation, whereby I don't feel my potential is being fully unlocked, skills aren't being harnessed etc, but I imagine most people feel that way as it is rare to get a job that properly utilises everything a person has to offer.
 
I guess the issue most will find is that eventually you reach a point where your current position doesn't allow you to progress your career without changing jobs/sectors. Plus, you can often end up in a situation where you start out in a job going the extra mile in a way that isn't sustainable longer term. Sometimes management can often develop an expectation that if you're going the extra mile, are happy to train/self-study new skills outside work and are willing to take on additional duties without remuneration they'll take that as a green flag to keep loading more work onto you. Only takes so long before you become disilliusioned by that and start working your hours.
 
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I guess the issue most will find is that eventually you reach a point where your current position doesn't allow you to progress your career without changing jobs/sectors. Plus, you can often end up in a situation where you start out in a job going the extra mile in a way that isn't sustainable longer term. Sometimes management can often develop an expectation that if you're going the extra mile, are happy to train/self-study new skills outside work and are willing to take on additional duties without remuneration they'll take that as a green flag to keep loading more work onto you. Only takes so long before you become disilliusioned by that and start working your hours.

This is now me. I've reached a point I can't progress any further where I am. So any further effort on my part (into where I am) would be pointless.
Makes more sense now for me to put an extra effort into me (to get another job) or into another source of income. I knew this before the lockdown.
Lockdown just confirmed it so many times over.


Always swore I'd never be this, guy, but here I am.

"...That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled, that and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired..."
 
The other thing I’ve noticed is that there are a lot of jobs which require a 40+hour working week, qualifications, tertiary education, years experience and continuous training at your own expense but maybe only pay £25-30k and don’t offer progression . I know quite a few folk in that position who’ve made the choice to switch to a lower paid less skilled/demanding job if it means they only have to work their hours and can clock off at the end of the day. Or perhaps the lower skilled role has better job security.

By the time you factor in tax, income support/etc sometimes the difference between a minimum wage per hour job (£20k) and a higher paid yet more demanding role isn’t that great in terms of your take home pay.

You start questioning why you’re selling your soul doing a job that’s perhaps more of a lifestyle choice if it’s only gaining you a few thousand pounds a year. Are you really making enough money, or is there the career opportunity, to justify the extra workload and the time youre expected to commit ?

I certainly feel that there are an increasing number of skilled jobs which now pay relatively poorly IME.
 
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Yep, remember seeing degree requirements just to be an Janitor. Which is crazy but since Brexit. They no longer have such silly requirements as most of them left the UK and no body is going to college or uni to be an Janitor.
 
Yep, remember seeing degree requirements just to be an Janitor. Which is crazy but since Brexit. They no longer have such silly requirements as most of them left the UK and no body is going to college or uni to be an Janitor.

Surely that has to be a **** take? or the job involved some level of responsibility not usually assigned to a janitor. I'd be interested to see a similar job advertisement but it's unlikely in the current job market in which employers are struggling to recruit the "right" people.
 
Lot of minimum wage or just above jobs now require a degree and 2-3 years experience. It's crazy really, minimum wage should be entry to job market roles
 
Surely that has to be a **** take? or the job involved some level of responsibility not usually assigned to a janitor. I'd be interested to see a similar job advertisement but it's unlikely in the current job market in which employers are struggling to recruit the "right" people.
I’ve seen ‘entry level’ IT Support jobs offering £20k a year asking for a degree in an IT related field.
 
Before covid I had been at the same company my whole career, genuinely believed it was a family, put in 200% effort. Then the company got sold, and during covid I took redundancy. Then I had another job for a few months before redundancy again. Pretty disheartened by this point, seemed like my career was going backwards, and all those so-called family members had gone their own way. Next company I had a horrible manager, so I quit that [great resignation]. Now I'm working in a team that isn't motivated, so that's rubbed off on me, working at about 50% [great silent resignation]. Covid helped me switch to fully remote and I don't intend to go back to the office/commute life.
 
Before covid I had been at the same company my whole career, genuinely believed it was a family, put in 200% effort. Then the company got sold, and during covid I took redundancy. Then I had another job for a few months before redundancy again. Pretty disheartened by this point, seemed like my career was going backwards, and all those so-called family members had gone their own way. Next company I had a horrible manager, so I quit that [great resignation]. Now I'm working in a team that isn't motivated, so that's rubbed off on me, working at about 50% [great silent resignation]. Covid helped me switch to fully remote and I don't intend to go back to the office/commute life.
The word family in a corporate environment is a red flag in my experience, usually a sign of an awful place to work.
 
Covid helped me switch to fully remote and I don't intend to go back to the office/commute life.
I am currently at risk of redundancy and should find out this month whether I stay or go. So I've already been looking around for jobs and frankly will probably move even if not made redundant.

Most jobs are being advertised as hybrid or mostly remote. One thing is for sure; I'm never taking a job that's not at least partly WFH. I'm simply not interested in full time in the office anymore. I'm not going back to commuting for 3 hours a day, suffering frequent delays and the cost of it all. My current employer (a bank) is struggling to get people back. They are returning for the bare minimum of days they can get away with. People don't want it anymore.
 
I don't have a problem with working late etc.. at times, when needed, but I'd better be paid/rewarded for it at the end of the year or I'm out. As a general rule, save for short periods of time, it's an inefficient way of working and doesn't tend to help with productivity.

I do take my lunch though unless there is some pressing reason (like a time constraint/imminent deadline that afternoon), general workload being high is definitely *not* a good enough reason to not have a lunch break... likewise if I'm working late I'll have another break at like 5 or 6 ish first. I used to love nipping to itsu for half-price sushi if working late.

Agreed - it's breaking contract but often can be 'defended' by signing away the 48 hour opt out and phases such as "as many hours as required todo the role". Limitless hours isn't work it is slavery.

The issue with many people now days is - work time is work time.
 
On quiet quitting. I think a lot of people have done this. Very rarely do I see anyone go above and beyond like they did prior to the pandemic. They just do their day job and then whatever they want after that. When so many people do it I think it starts to become part of the culture and drags others into this. As a result I’ve felt inclined to not do things if I don’t have to. Just do what is needed.
 
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