Have you heard of “quiet quitting”? It refers to no longer going far above and beyond at work, but merely meeting the basic requirements of one’s job description.
The idea spread virally on social media and is becoming incredibly common off-line. Gallup finds that “quiet quitters" make up at least 50% of the U.S. workforce.
The divide over “quiet quitting” is totally generational, and I find it fascinating.
Recently I talked about the phenomenon of quiet quitting with some of my parents’ friends, and they were aghast. “Whatever happened to giving your all?” they asked.
But the conversation was different with friends my own age. Many young adults feel stuck in dead-end jobs that lack potential for growth and where management takes their best efforts for granted.
In these situations, “quiet quitting” doesn’t seem like such a bad thing at all. It seems like a necessary antidote to workaholism. It seems like a way to set reasonable boundaries and reclaim a healthy work-life balance.
So what’s the Christian response to “quiet quitting”?
How can we know if it’s appropriate to our situation?
As Christians, we’re called both to give our best efforts to our work, and also to set aside time for true rest.
The Catechism calls us to unite our work with Christ’s work of redemption:
St. John Bosco also reminds us that “Daily work, regularly and conscientiously performed, is a sure stepping stone to sanctity.”
At the same time, restful leisure is an important part of the rhythm of human life, and the Church urges us to protect this time. The Catechism says,
Living out both dedicated work and thoughtful rest, we might find that quiet quitting is “slacking off,” or we might find it to be a necessary step to reclaim leisure in our unique situation. Prudence is required to discern.
Not sure if it’s the right choice for you? Here are a few questions to ask yourself.
Hopefully these questions will help you figure out if “quiet quitting” makes sense for your particular situation.
And when in doubt, turn to prayer and to a trusted spiritual adviser. God so often makes things clear to us when we ask Him before the Blessed Sacrament!
