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Quiet Quitting

ombuds.web.cern.ch

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Re: Quiet Quitting

#101

Post by mxuribe »

workerthrow632 wrote: post #76
matmatmatmat wrote: post #26

It's interesting to see this from CERN, which is essentially an institution that enables young people to work unlimited hours for next to no pay and virtually no chance of ever attaining significant recognition of their work. In my brief time there, it was not uncommon to hear stories of people who had moved there and not even unpacked all of their belongings after a year or more. On the plus side, if you love partic…

> not even unpacked all of their belongings after a year or more. I stopped having any personal effects at work. Purely mercenary. It makes it easier when I get walked out when the C-Suite decides they need higher bonuses.

My current as well as last two jobs, the only thing i brought in was a single coffee mug, and no other personal effects. (The mug was because i'm doing my little bit to help the environment by re-using my cup...I know, I know, its a very small bit, but still.) I have long seen myself as merely a mercenary. But, my latest job - started only 8 months ago - was supoosed to be the company where i retire from. That is, where i stop being the merc. But in just those 8 months, i already have seen the awful apporoach senior leadership takes towards its employees. So, i guess i stay as a merc. (and slowly plan my pivot towards being my own boss...charging these senior leaders exorbitant consultant rates. ;-)

Re: Quiet Quitting

#102

Post by hijinks »

Kon-Peki wrote: post #85
hijinks wrote: post #36

I'm gen X so sort of right in the middle. I consider my generation on of the last of the american dream is attainable for the average worker. I was able to buy a home in my early 20s and climb the wealth ladder. I busted my ass working a 40hr a week job and doing side hustles to make it happen. If you are looking for a home now outside a major city and don't want a 2hr commute things are so slim even if you work your…

> no one wanted to do it because they've heard since they were 8 years old how bad working with your hands are and they should get an office job In my area, youth soccer referees are being offered $50/hr and the age requirement has been lowered to 13 for U8 matches. They still have trouble getting enough people. Every soccer club in the area sends out multiple emails to parents asking them to get their teenagers to g…

I'm still big into competitive soccer and the Denver area is the same. Most leagues are even waiving the requirement to be certified. All you need is playing experience. My kids games are reffed by 12 year olds.

Re: Quiet Quitting

#103

Post by Insanity »

neogodless wrote: post #3

It irks me that some people use this term to mean "doing your job, as expected." I would imagine it to mean "doing the absolute smallest amount you can get away with without getting noticed and subsequently fired." Fulfilling my duties but not doing overtime seems like "doing your job" rather than "quiet quitting."

I had a conversation with my wife about this just about a week ago. We have a different background (America vs Europe, me being Europe). When she explained “Quiet quitting” to me, my reaction was the same as yours. Quiet Quitting is just doing the job which you are paid for. Which to me is perfectly reasonable.

Culture probably plays a role here. Like that joke about an American making calls / texting for work while in the hospital, and a European taking 4 weeks vacation for the summer, just dropping everything work related.

Re: Quiet Quitting

#104

Post by jacobsenscott »

neogodless wrote: post #3

It irks me that some people use this term to mean "doing your job, as expected." I would imagine it to mean "doing the absolute smallest amount you can get away with without getting noticed and subsequently fired." Fulfilling my duties but not doing overtime seems like "doing your job" rather than "quiet quitting."

In the programming world, there is no clear definition of just "doing your job". Two programmers can both work 8 hour days, doing their best work, and one can literally provide 10x or more value than the other. It seems like in programming the only definition of "doing your job" is "do your best".

With such a range of skills and loose definitions, it it is almost impossible to tell who is doing their job and who isn't.

Re: Quiet Quitting

#105

Post by hinkley »

PuppyTailWags wrote: post #51
jenny91 wrote: post #13

There has been an erosion and change in the nature of the employee-employer relationship. Back in the day that the author initially started working, the nature of the relationship was probably much more balanced: the employee got a decent wage, was trusted to fulfil their duties with reasonable concessions and freedom (sometimes possibly doing overtime if necessary, but also being able to leave early on days when the…

I would also argue that this correlates with the weakening of pro-labor political blocs. This includes but doesn't necessarily only include labor unions. I'm also talking news reporting (muck-raking) and labor watchdog orgs. Companies stopped feeling like they are obligated to society (including their workers) and are now mandated to operate only to make more money for the select few owner class.

Most of the anti-labor sentiment I’ve heard from non managers has been about systemic quiet quitting by union members. Some of those examples are 30 years old.

Re: Quiet Quitting

#106

Post by mahathu »

Why are some people working more than they can? For their own startup or doing a PhD they are passionate about I understand it, but for a random company?

Re: Quiet Quitting

#107

Post by boole1854 »

I find myself saddened by the 'quiet quitting' meme.

If people were simply promoting trying to find a new employer if your current employer doesn't value your hard work properly, that would be great. That would benefit workers.

If people were simply promoting a balanced life in which it is okay to take leisure time and not make your whole life about your career, that would be great. That would benefit workers.

But 'quiet quitting' isn't just those things. It actively encourages people to stay where they at but to perform the minimum required to maintain employment. In many cases, it promotes a sense that you are sticking to the man; you're finally causing your your employer to get what they deserve.

But adopting apathy towards your career hurts you proportionally far more than it hurts your employer. 'Quiet quitting' is a meme that can easily harm the people who are most enthusiastic to put its tenants into practice.

Years ago I read an autobiography of a Black gentleman who came from very poor beginnings in the US South but ended up having an accomplished career laid on the foundation of the hard work he had put into being successful in his academic pursuits when he was young. He discussed some of the challenges that other young Black boys and men faced. In some parts of the Black community, young Black boys would insult their peers who were interested in academics by saying they were 'acting white'. Although it is virtually certain that these young boys had legitimate grievances about the 'white' society in which they were growing up (which was early to mid 20th century America), this had developed into a meme in which trying to be successful at learning was derided as pointless or as selling out. This was a tragedy since becoming successful at learning was in fact one of the best things that young Black men could do to raise their standards of living.

The similarities with the 'quiet quitting' meme seem sadly clear to me. Hopefully it will pass before too many young people's future growth is inadvertently self-sabotaged.

To be clear, I don't mean to deny that there are problems with the typical 21st century "employee-employer bargain". Let's just try to find a way to fix those problems without spreading a self-harming meme.

Re: Quiet Quitting

#108

Post by Moissanite »

A phenomenal amount of words are being written about this topic but it seems far simpler to me than most are suggesting. People are sick of those who are already extremely wealthy capturing so much value from economic activity, without truly earning their wealth (by any reasonable definition of "earning"). Since people still need to eat, we are entering into a spite-centric model where I earn as much as I can, but in competition with my employer rather than collaboration. The easiest way for me to do that is to minimize the benefit they can get from my employment, while not offering any excuse to get rid of me specifically.

The best way I can see to recover from this trend is for employee ownership models to gain traction.

Re: Quiet Quitting

#109

Post by 4gotunameagain »

matmatmatmat wrote: post #26

It's interesting to see this from CERN, which is essentially an institution that enables young people to work unlimited hours for next to no pay and virtually no chance of ever attaining significant recognition of their work. In my brief time there, it was not uncommon to hear stories of people who had moved there and not even unpacked all of their belongings after a year or more. On the plus side, if you love partic…

Here's my anecdote to balance your anecdote:

I was getting paid very well in a junior position at CERN, rarely working more than 7.5 hours a day, doing interesting things, and with a hefty bonus when I took a three day long weekend business trip.

Re: Quiet Quitting

#110

Post by bigbillheck »

Eumenes wrote: post #56

Alot of young people are being influenced by stupid trends on reddit (like /r/antiwork) or this 'quiet quitting' nonsense. Alot of young people also believe that meritocracy doesn't exist in the modern workplace, which is dangerous, because we all know it 100% exists.

> because we all know it 100% exists.

I don't know that.

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