Why People Don’t Quit Jobs They Hate – 9/3/2023 – Equilibrium

Stuck in jobs they don’t like – or with wages that don’t satisfy them – many workers become demotivated and end up adhering to the “quiet resignation”: when they decide to do as little as possible.

Voluntary resignation rates are decreasing. In the US, they normalized to pre-pandemic levels – apparently ending a time when many workers were leaving their jobs. Hiring has also cooled down. In the UK, the number of job vacancies fell quarterly last year.

Experts say some workers are happy to stay in their jobs: many have found new positions after rethinking their careers. But not all workers stay where they are willingly. Some still want to quit, but with a slowdown in hiring and uncertainty about the economy, they could be stuck in jobs they don’t like for the foreseeable future.

When the market is hot, dissatisfied workers can more easily change jobs or change industries to find jobs they like better.

“When people feel that they are not in an inspiring job and see opportunities elsewhere, they are likely to seek to fulfill their professional needs in another company”, says Jim Harter, researcher of management and well-being in the American consulting firm. Gallup.

With no prospect of being hired elsewhere, however, people often cannot afford to quit – so instead, they “quiet quietly”, that is, they start doing as little as possible. According to Gallup data from June 2023, 59% of the 122,416 global workers surveyed say they are not engaged at work.

There are many reasons why workers are unmotivated right now, experts say.

On the one hand, the cost of living and stagnating wage growth have meant that more employees are dissatisfied with their wages.

“Pay is often the number one reason someone feels dissatisfied with their current job – you’re working hard, but your pay isn’t increasing,” explains Nela Richardson, chief economist at HR firm ADP in New York.

A large portion of workers are also stuck in jobs they don’t care about. The fact that they want a new role, but are not able to, makes them feel frustrated, trapped and without agency. Thus, without mobility in the labor market, “[eles] they stay on the job simply because they have no choice, not because they feel fulfilled and motivated by their role,” says Ngaire Moyes, UK manager at LinkedIn.

This is where silent dismissal comes in. “Most people ‘quit’ silently because of the nature of their work,” says Harter. “They do the bare minimum because they don’t feel inspired and don’t feel they have the opportunity to do what they do best.”

Consequences of the ‘silent resignation’

For the employee, being stuck in a job he doesn’t like is unpleasant at best and harmful at worst. And giving up silently doesn’t help. “It’s a behavior that can lead to lower levels of well-being over time,” says Harter. “In practice, going into a cocoon and doing the bare minimum most of the time can have a negative impact on mental health. And it’s not a way to build a successful career.”

The posture of many companies also exacerbates the problem.

Harter says a company’s lack of investment in its workers often leads to “silent layoffs.” “Some employers may now think they have more control when workers have fewer opportunities elsewhere. And that’s why employers don’t try as hard to inspire their teams,” he says.

However, the issue is a big problem for companies, since the demotivation of workers generates loss of productivity. Experts say that companies themselves should be interested in engaging their workers.

If they don’t improve conditions for employees, an increasing number of your employees will start doing the bare minimum until they are able to change employers.

One piece of that puzzle, Richardson says, is making sure workers feel supported and prioritized, that there is attention to their mental health and quality of life.

“When there is a labor shortage, many employers do more to retain their workers by offering greater flexibility. But as the labor shortage decreases, some organizations may pull back on these offers and benefits,” she says.

In times of economic stress, such as when there is inflation and rising costs of living, employers also have a duty to recognize workers’ circumstances, says Harter.

He cites Gallup numbers that indicate engagement is also affected by crises outside the workplace. “In difficult times, building the right organizational culture is even more crucial to amplifying employee effort,” he adds.

The reality for most workers is that they may have to stay in their current roles whether they like it or not. And unless companies do more to engage disgruntled employees, many people will opt for “quiet resignation” and do as little as possible.

This text was published here