Quiet quitting: this is why young people today only work the required hours

Handelszeitung — 29 August 2022

A trend is sweeping the world of work: working only as long as your contract says.

Dr. Jennifer L. Sparr, an occupational psychologist at the University of Zurich, offers an explanation for the phenomenon: "There have always been employees who only fulfilled the minimum at work.” Now, however, she observes that many employers are pursuing a return to "pre-Corona normality." However, after two years of the pandemic, this is no longer the same and the ‘new normal’ needs to be defined.

"The pandemic has brought home to us the tension between health and productivity," says Sparr. During the pandemic, employers had to take measures in a short period of time to protect their employees and keep operations running. " Employees were committed to these measures and demonstrated flexibility, adaptability and willingness to combine work with private life in the home office." Working together and for each other was the top priority.

“And now that the pandemic restrictions have been lifted and both employers and employees are trying to find their new normality, the togetherness is often lost," she says. As an example, she explains that regulations regarding home office are often set up without employee consultation - and they perceive this as an infringement on their newfound flexibility. In fact, research shows that productivity in the home office remained the same during the pandemic, and in some cases even increased. If organizations develop work model regulations without involving employees, employees may revert to only doing the minimum for the company, focusing more on the regained time for non-work activities after the pandemic.

Dr. Jennifer L. Sparr recommends remembering the cooperation and mutual support that existed before the pandemic: "Appreciate what employees have done during this time, what personal restrictions they have taken on.” And above all, it is important to her that employees have a say in defining the ‘new normal’: "Employees want to feel competent and have control and influence over their work.”

Article in German by Tina Fischer