A Quiet Place Too? How to deal with employees who are quitting in place

While COVID-19 is still with us in one form or another, the effect (at least for now) is far less severe than before. As a result, pandemic-related subsidies and assistance from the government have ended, and many employers are trying to get remote and hybrid employees back into the workplace. Still, some employees have resisted the call to return to the office, and others who return have a new approach to work: They are not working as hard as before. This phenomenon is referred to as “quitting in place” or “quiet quitting.” Read on for some strategies to address this new reality.

COVID-19 and the workplace

COVID-19 affected the traditional workplace in many ways. First, there were stay-at-home orders. Next, came furloughs. Then, came waves of infections and illness. The responses from government and employers included, not in any particular order, screening protocols, vaccine policies, insurance subsidies, paid leave, augmented unemployment benefits, and work from home accommodations.

Before there was a vaccine, some employees said they wouldn’t return to work until there was a vaccine. Once it was available, some employees resisted the shot because it was so new, and others sought medical or religious exemptions. Still, other employees found they preferred to work from home because of childcare issues or concerns about safety. They felt more productive, or they simply discovered a work-life balance that had eluded them before the pandemic.

What is quiet quitting?