Quietly Quitting

With many highlights on the latest "quietly quitting" mentions on social media, here is the Asian perspective.

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This is not a new phenomenon, just a new acronym.  For Asian working patterns, it never strictly falls in to 9 to 6 category.  With the pandemic in the past two years, workflows fall more out of the norm.  For example, employees are required to turn on camera so attendance are good.  There are no longer excuses for lunch breaks, client meetings or out of office hours in response to inadequate business demands from bosses or clients.  Working around the clock and instant response are required to stay competitive, well to stay on the payroll. 

 

To employers, they have provided the greatest freedom to let go of control for physically office (so to monitor your productivity) and to provide "work from home" flexibility.  They have imposed a "guilty" feeling so workers will work extra hard and extra hours - even when the world stops, disregarding bathroom breaks or even healthy breaks for the benefit of human beings.  

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In recent years with more efficient social media activities, workflows come directly via wechat or watsapp messages especially those out of office hours and particularly out of the job description - where mostly to escape from backslash from human resources perspectives. 

 

On behalf of employees, the pandemic did not lower our productivity, it actually churns out a lot of energy plus stress in the unstable environment to manage both work and home.  

 

Another concern we are not highlighting enough is with extended technology, we are living longer, even with baby boomers ageing - there are many in their 60s and 50s chose to remain in the working industry.  This means many Gen X and Y are in the middle work force with no room to grow.  Technology reliance on AI may some day or even slowly diminishing some roles we see today.  This is why this acronym are highlighted today but the behaviour existed due to many social problems not just the particular individual who chose to work within the work hours and within the job description.  

 

Just to share some views on this issue today.