Finish on time. Not checking work emails in bed. Manage your workload effectively. These are all characteristics of a healthy relationship with work and fundamental habits to maintain the balance between our personal and professional lives, or so you might think.

You have probably recently heard of the expression “quiet quitting” (one can speak of “désengagement” in French), which has been in vogue for tik tok user took the platform to talk about the culture of overwork and explain why he decided to quit.

“You are not giving up your job outright, but you are giving up the idea of ​​bettering 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 mindset that work should be your life. The reality is that it is not, and your value as a person is not defined by your work. »

Rejection of overwork

Acknowledging that the culture of overwork is harmful is to be applauded. Subscribing to the idea that our engagement at work is somehow a reflection of our morale and self-esteem is unhealthy and unsustainable, and will only compound the problems of employee burnout, stress, and disengagement that are already plaguing the workforce .

But the expression “quiet quitting” (literal translation of “quiet quitting”) is a mistake. She suggests that if he is not constantly available for her work, he is lazy and disloyal. She suggests that if you’re not constantly working late, answering the phone at all hours of the day, or consistently saying “yes” to new assignments regardless of your workload, it’s like you’re not doing your job at all. This suggests that employees should make continual efforts to appease their bosses, even if they don’t get credit 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 workplace mindset. 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 work culture. Technology has made our lives easier in many ways, but it has also made work more pervasive and harder to unplug at the end of the day. Similarly, while broadband, software, and mobile devices have made us more productive and efficient as workers, few of these innovations have drastically lightened our workload; we’re just shoving more work into the same eight-hour window and also getting more distracted. .

What we need is a fundamental review of work and workplace culture – what the ongoing four-day week trials in the UK, US and other parts of the world hope to explore. Early 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 taking 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 burn out with homework.

Get out of the fear of retaliation

It is the moral responsibility of employers to promote healthy work habits and make it clear that opportunities for growth and development are not tied to office hours. Employees should be able to log out on time, say “no” to tasks they can’t perform, and log off from everything work-related during their time off, without fear of lawsuit or retaliation. If leaders see employee engagement fading, 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 accuse them of “quietly quitting,” which could prompt them to quit “loudly,” which is the last thing employees want to do and 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 underinvesting in their jobs and applaud them for recognizing that the culture of overwork only serves bad workplaces and bad work culture.

Instead of punishing employees who walk away from unrewarding roles, let’s look at how we can apply the lessons of the last two years to create more sustainable, equitable and rewarding ways of working.

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