What Is Quiet Quitting? | HR Glossary | BambooHR
Doing only what a role strictly requires, without going above and beyond.
Quiet quitting describes employees choosing to do only what their role formally requires, declining the extra discretionary effort — staying late, taking on more, going the extra mile — that many workplaces have come to expect. Despite the name, it is not resignation.
The term became popular as a shorthand for setting boundaries and protecting work-life balance, particularly after the pandemic. For employers it can signal disengagement, unclear expectations, unmanageable workloads or a sense that extra effort goes unrecognised.
Rather than a discipline issue, quiet quitting is best treated as a prompt to examine engagement, workload and reward. Honest one-to-ones, fair recognition and realistic role design address the underlying causes far better than pressure to do more.
