'Quiet Quitting' Joined By 'Loud Quitting'

A Gallup study says 18% of employees worldwide are are loudly quitting or actively disengaged

Quiet Quitting was regularly written and talked about during the pandemic yet there is also the problem of Loud Quitting for employers, writes Goh Chiew Tong for CNBC’s Make It section.

It is what you might imagine, being actively disengaged and being highly communicative about their discontent.

“These employees may leave without notice, create an unpleasant public scene, post inflammatory comments online, refuse to do assigned tasks and embark upon disruptive and potentially sabotaging actions,” writes Jack Kelly, a senior contributor at Forbes.

Paycom elaborates on what else can happen.

“Loud quitting is when ‘employees take actions that directly harm the organization, undercutting its goals and opposing its leaders,’ according to Gallup,” a Paycom blog writes.

And contrary to the label, the employee might not be leaving the company.

“Grumpy staying,” a similar trend covered by Business Insider, might speak more clearly to the phenomenon,” the Paycom blog states. “A grumpy stayer would say something like, ‘I’m going to keep working here because I need this job, but you’re going to know I don’t like it!

“The difference is loud quitters could have their foot out the door, but they want to give the foyer a few final scuffs before exiting for good.”

While loud departures from employers is risky business career wise, some people are more likely to engage in it and be able to land on their feet.

“People with hard-to-find skills are in a better position to quit their jobs, as they know they’ll soon find a new position,” Kelly writes. “The sudden decision to noisily make people aware of your unhappiness is rooted in (employer’s) push to get back to the office and (employees) no longer having a better quality of work-life balance.”

Management can choose to be indifferent or retaliatory of course and some employers will do just that or it can be smarter, better and more effective.

“Management should regularly ask for feedback and listen to the staff to understand why they are disengaged,” Kelly writes. “Organizations should prioritize employee well-being and offer support and resources to support their mental health. Leaders will need to take the appropriate steps to rebuild confidence in the workplace. They should recognize and show public appreciation for employees when they do well.”

Of course, he recommends workers should be jettisoned. The problem that could likely exist there is that perception and judgment can certainly be associated with confirmation bias and self interest.

Objectivity can be hard for top-level decision makers.

Loud Quitting is problematic and to lower the probability of it, employers can consider being more observant, engage more in communicating — which includes listening — closely with employees in a manner that creates psychological safety and showing compassion for people’s mental health, especially in the workplace.

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