What’s behind serving according to the rules?

You may have heard the term “quietly quitting” lately. It first appeared on the video platform TikTok. In a short video a man explains:

“Work is not your life, your value as a human being is not defined by your productivity”

After the video went viral with several million views, the term was discussed around the world, especially in the United States. But what does quitting silently actually mean?

Definitions of silent quitting

There is currently no precise definition for this term, but the boundaries are fluid.

For some, the term only means doing the bare minimum in the job and not doing more than what is contractually expected and paid for. In this case Quiet Quitting can be translated as “service according to the rules”. The employee then works exactly as expected, even if some work is left behind. No additional duties or favors will be taken on for colleagues. There is no malicious purpose being pursued, it’s just about not wanting to exhaust yourself for the job or for your employer.

For others, quitting quietly simply means setting healthy boundaries for yourself and resisting a system where unpaid overtime, after-hours calls and emails, and additional activities outside of your job scope are part of everyday life. That’s why we finish the job on time and the on-call service ends at the end of the working day. Many people leave their laptop at the office and only respond to all messages during working hours. The goal is to build a healthy work-life balance and protect your mental health by not dedicating your entire life to work.

In reality, quitting your job is not a silent resignation.

Escalation of silent resignations due to the pandemic

The phenomenon of silent resignations has been exacerbated by changing working conditions following the coronavirus pandemic. In many industries, the pandemic has caused numerous layoffs and layoffs during the lockdown Shortage of staff. As normal life returns, these bottlenecks will have to be compensated for with additional work by the remaining employees.

This effect increases the need for employees to no longer accept the excessive demands placed on them. This means that the additional effort is stopped.

Quitting Smoking Quietly or Low Yield: What’s the Difference?

A term known in Germany that must be classified in this context is that of “low performer” or minimal performer. Underperforming workers are employees who consistently fall below their physical or mental performance and therefore have significantly lower job performance or measurable work outcomes than other employees.

The causes of this minimum performance can be different: here a distinction is made between personal and behavioral causes.

Personal causes include, for example, physical limitations that do not allow the person concerned to achieve above-average performance. These reasons are outside the controllable range. The situation is different when it comes to behavioral causes. Here the manager does not want to do more than what he does.

The difference between silent quitters and low performers is performance: silent quitters are generally efficient and willing to perform, but not beyond the contractually agreed upon framework. The work done here can also be flawless; the only thing missing is the willingness to work overtime and do more than necessary. The reasons therefore differ between the lack of motivation or performance of low achievers and the self-care of those who silently drop out.

Relevance of silent resignations under labor law

In the event of a silent resignation, there are generally no consequences in terms of employment law, provided that the employee complies with all contractual requirements. No employee is obliged to do more than what is contractually agreed. At the same time, employers are not entitled to have highly motivated and committed employees. Silent abandonment therefore does not constitute grounds for dismissal or other consequences.

Things are different with low performance. If an employee performs less than a third of the normal performance, the dismissal can be said to be material. It does not matter whether the cause is personal or behavioral, although the consequences are obviously more necessary for those with low behavioral performance. It is usually contractually expected that employees provide their employer with the best possible support based on their skills and knowledge and carry out tasks to the best of their ability.

Overtime agreement: is it possible?

Of course, it is still possible for employees to work overtime. However, only if these are contractually agreed. This is usually the case with standard contracts. This means that employees are then obliged to work overtime in compliance with all legal regulations.

It is particularly important to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act. According to this law, an employee can work a maximum of 48 hours per week and only for 48 weeks per year, as he is legally entitled to at least four weeks of vacation. Legal rights to breaks also need to be approved if working hours are appropriate. When working six to nine hours a day, employees are legally entitled to a rest break of at least 30 minutes. If employees work more than nine hours, their break entitlement increases to at least 45 minutes.

Motivated employees: but how?

Many employers are viewing this trend with concern. What needs to happen for your employees to move away from passive working posture?

If you want your employees to come to work motivated and ready to show more effort than they have to in case of an emergency, you should take the initiative and create incentives that are worth giving more to. To illustrate employee commitment, their motivation can be illustrated using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:

Practical advice for motivated employees

And what does this mean specifically for implementation? Here are our tips for greater motivation at work:

1. Offer raises and bonuses

The first important point to motivate employees in a sustainable way is to adjust their salaries. Every employee wants fair compensation for their services. If overtime is not paid or is not recognized with a long-term salary increase, the willingness to work overtime will logically decrease rapidly. Paying bonuses to particularly busy employees can also increase motivation.

However, non-material bonuses can also help motivate employees. This was demonstrated in an experiment by behavioral economist Dan Ariely. At the beginning of the week, employees were promised various incentives for good performance: Group 1 would be promised personal praise from the boss, Group 2 would be offered an additional $30 per day, and Group 3 would be promised a pizza voucher. The fourth group served only as a control group and received no incentives.

In the end it turned out that the pizza coupon was what motivated the employees the most. A small bonus can have a big impact.

2. Create a grateful work atmosphere

Mutual respect within the company is also very important. Employees want to be appreciated for their work and their results. Recognition of achievements inspires pride in most people and at the same time strengthens the sense of belonging in the workplace. Even spontaneous praise can work wonders in this case, as Ariely’s experiment also shows. Praise and recognition strengthen employees’ self-confidence and at the same time motivate them to do their best.

3. Encourage employees to have a say

Giving employees the right to have a say also expresses appreciation and respect. If an employee is asked for his opinion or advice, this strengthens his confidence in his personal abilities. The feeling of being able to get involved, share your knowledge and be listened to increases motivation immensely. For this reason, if you involve your employees in decision-making processes, you do something good for your employees and for yourself. Often employees also have many good ideas that should be taken into consideration.

4. Allow flexible working hours

Another factor that increases employee motivation is flexible working hours. This allows you to adapt working hours to the individual life situation and maintain work-life balance without having to resort to silent resignation. Mobile working also lightens the workload of many employees and therefore has a positive impact on their motivation.

Digital software is needed for HR departments and all colleagues to track working hours Planning of staff deployment recommended. There you can see at any time which employee works, where and when and is therefore reachable. At the same time, such software incl. Self-service for employees All employees have the self-determination to plan their daily work and implement it according to their needs.

5. Provide continuing education opportunities

Showcasing and offering further training and career opportunities is also very important for long-term motivation. Many employees, especially among younger generations, see personal development or advancement opportunities as the basis of their motivation. Who wants to stay in the same position their whole life?

For this reason we recommend offering training courses and workshops to your employees. Internal success stories in career development should also be communicated openly in order to create the right incentives. Employees who see an opportunity for a promotion are usually committed because they want to achieve their personal goals.

There is an internal one for planning Training management makes sense, since there you can precisely determine and organize when which employees are attending further training, which qualifications have already been acquired, which need to be updated and which could still be useful.

6. Conduct personal discussions with employees and feedback

Last but not least, personal contact between employees and their superiors is very important. In employee or feedback discussions, employees should have the opportunity to communicate possible problems, clarify the state of affairs or suggest their own ideas. At the same time, it is important to receive feedback on work performance and behavior at regular intervals. With the help of a strengths and weaknesses profile you can ensure balanced feedback

Our conclusion

So there are some things companies can do to prevent lack of motivation at work. Employees who feel connected to their company are more likely to be engaged and less likely to simply do the job by the book.

In some cases, however, nothing helps. If silent discharge is suspected, a conversation should be sought and the causes identified. Is it about mental health and maintaining work-life balance or does the employee have other reasons for quietly resigning? Depending on the cause, individual solutions can be found in a personal dialogue that both parties can accept as a compromise.