Quiet Quitting Remains A Problem
New research conducted by WorkBuzz has found that 64% of HR professionals report that quiet quitting has either not improved over the last year, or has got worse. Indeed, the number that have stated that the problem of quiet quitting has actually worsened has increased from 18% last year to 24% this year.
Quiet quitting is where an employee just does their job for the salary, but devoid of any actual engagement. That is, the employee just does the bare minimum to get by, without going above and beyond what is required to progress their career (e.g. refusing to take on unpaid overtime).
The findings of the WorkBuzz survey reinforce the findings of other recent research in relation to quiet quitting. A report released by BetterUp back in December 2022, for instance, found that a third of UK workers describe themselves as in quiet quitting mode.
Commenting upon the findings of the WorkBuzz survey, its CEO, Steven Frost, states: "Against a backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis, organisations are focusing on shorter term and ‘harder’ business outcomes like retention, performance and productivity. Plus, organisations seem to be listening to their employees less frequently. This is counterintuitive of course, because when employees feel listened to, they are more likely to stay in their jobs for longer and be high performing."
Frost adds: "The only sustainable way to retain great people that choose to go the extra mile is by creating a thriving culture. Neglecting the employee voice risks undermining this, especially in a rapidly changing world with evolving employee expectations and a wave of new AI-technology. When times are tough, it’s crucial to spend more time rather than less time listening to your employees as they’ll often provide the answers to your organisation’s toughest business challenges."
Causes of quiet quitting include workers feeling undervalued or unappreciated in their role, leading them to disengage and eventually quit. Toxic work environments are another cause, characterized by bullying, harassment, and/or poor leadership. Other causes are lack of career growth opportunities, poor work-life balance, and excessive workloads.
To address the problem of quiet quitting, employers should focus on improving communication and fostering a positive work environment. First, they should encourage open and transparent dialogue between employees and management, providing regular opportunities for feedback and discussion. This can help identify any underlying issues causing dissatisfaction or disengagement. Additionally, employers should prioritize employee well-being and satisfaction by implementing policies that promote work-life balance, recognition, and career growth opportunities. By actively listening to employees' concerns and addressing them promptly, employers can reduce the likelihood of quiet quitting and foster a more engaged and committed workforce.
New Research: Gender Pay Gap
New analysis of data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) by Ciphr has found that there is a gender pay gap favouring men in 78% of full-time job roles. This increases to 81% where that type of role is performed by 50,000 or more workers.
Furthermore, of those job roles where a gender pay gap favouring men does exist, the gap is 10% or higher in 30% of those roles. With the gap being between 5-9% in 32% of roles, that means that the gap is 5% or higher in 62% of roles.
The report also found that: "the average median gender pay gap for full-time workers in the UK in 2023 is 7.7% in favour of men. This means that the gender pay gap has stayed relatively unchanged for full-time workers over the last year (it was 7.6% in 2022), with women’s hourly pay still lagging men’s hourly pay in many occupations. The UK’s mean gender pay gap for full-time employees is 10.7% in favour of men....For all workers (full- and part-time), the UK’s median gender pay gap in 2023 is 14.3% in favour of men (down 0.1% from 14.4% in 2022)."
