Have you ever done “quiet quitting” even if you didn’t call it that?

I would certainly not have done that, nor would I have been able to.

I remember doing just that in an office job where I was to receive redundancy/early retirement, but had to work 3 months notice first. Bloody boring (the job was a horrendous bore anyway and I was really unhappy there) but it kept me sane, just doing the minimum. I suppose you could call that quiet quitting - I was definitely winding down. It was a job with no real job description - a kind of non-job - so I didn’t feel that I was affecting any of my colleagues. It wasn’t what you call a team work environment. Oh how I hated that job!! I got another job shortly afterwards which I really enjoyed and put my heart and soul into - I’m not a shirker!

I was a teacher so absolutely no chance of quiet quitting! The older and more experienced teachers weren't offered promotion anyway as it went to younger folk who wanted a foot on the ladder. That was fine by me as I was exhausted anyway

My last couple of months at work were a bit like that, but it wasn't a conscious choice. I resigned and my notice period (3 months) was mostly over the summer, which is usually a time for preparing for the next academic year - I was a lecturer. I did a thorough handover to those replacing my leadership roles, and left everything labeled and easy to find for my incoming replacement, as he was still working elsewhere and I only met him at his interview. I was fairly organised, so it was more a case of making it clear where things were and how to access them, writing contact lists etc, as I knew my way around my 'system', which had evolved over 20 years or so and wouldn't be obvious to anyone else.

I carried on with marking and so on, but when it came to preparation I had none to do. Similarly, planning meetings were pointless, and to some extent I felt that if I went it would look as though I wanted to keep control over things I wouldn't be involved in.

It was a strange time, as I was always very conscientious previously.

I “quietly quit” from a job in my early 40s. I was a fully qualified and experienced professional. But the structure of the profession and the system for qualification had changed, leaving people like me behind. Kids were coming in from another route with a (often not very good) degree clutched in their hands. We were expected to mentor them, only to see them promoted over our heads within a few years. It didn’t just happen to me, or in my organization. It happened in several professions that I know of and the short sightedness of these employers caused a great deal of anger and bitterness.

That was when I decided to step off the ladder and apply for uni. However the process of applying to uni begins long before you fill in the UCAS form. You need to thoroughly research universities, departments and courses. This can involve not only reading up but travelling to look around the campus and attending open days. For me it was a year long process.

And that was when I began to quietly quit – without even having heard of the term.

I worked the hours I was paid because it was a public facing role. I did the work which was expected to an equivalent level and at a comparable speed to that done by colleagues. Spent as much time chatting and drinking coffee as they did. I cut out all the extras. No organizing poetry and folk evenings, exhibitions, giving extra curricular talks or organizing staff parties. Making myself difficult to contact. So if the place I was working suffered a break in I was one keyholder who was not answering the phone. There were no mobiles then.

And of course I took time off for university interviews - all five of which resulted in offers. I simply told my boss "I have an interview on XX" leaving the impression that it was a job interview.

Once I had a firm offer at the university of my choice I moved house pretty quickly and without explanation. Having quietly removed my personal belongings from work in the previous weeks I resigned without explanation. Only a very few close friends knew why or where I had gone.

Not something I could do at all but then times are very different now.
It's probably easier to do in some jobs than others.

I cannot imagine any profession whereby time off would be granted for an interview.

I work part time and dont look at my work emails on my days off. That's actually fairly common for people who work part time.

Sago

I cannot imagine any profession whereby time off would be granted for an interview.

Perhaps not, but one could use days out of one's annual leave.

I went for an interview last year, I took time off via time off in lieu they were fine. How else would people be able to go to interviews.

I’ll never forget that when I worked for the council in my first job my boss said to me ‘ that’s it for the day. So I got a book out to read ( I read in every spare moment back then). No, you can’t do that he said in horror. So I said that I might as well carry on working then. I always feel sorry for people on eg supermarket check outs that they can’t sit and read even if there isn’t a customer. Mind you I don’t go to supermarkets these days so maybe it’s all self check out with the few staff overwhelmed by work. If my daughter had just done quiet quitting she wouldn’t have burned herself out teaching.

You are allowed time off for interviews in teaching.
I most certainly never did any form of 'quiet quitting' before retiring; I think it is shameful, and I don't think I ever encountered anyone who did.

I'm really surprised the social gatherings thing is on there. Why should people be forced to socialise outside of work and how does that affect someones
impact inwork?

Baggs

Sago

I cannot imagine any profession whereby time off would be granted for an interview.

Perhaps not, but one could use days out of one's annual leave.

Teachers were given time off for interviews in my school, I'm sure it was the same LA wide.
Otherwise we couldn't attend them!

We were running our own business so there was no way we'd have slacked off as we approached retirement, even if we'd wanted too.

Sounds entirely reasonable to me. Do what you are paid to do and no more.

This Us-imported idea of your job/company being your life is unacceptable and unhealthy.

Good for anyone who takes a stand on this.

US

Back in the 1980s it was standard to be given time off for interviews, medical and dental appointments. Also you were usually reimbursed for travel to job interviews.

I dont think there was anything wrong with what I did. Employers treated their staff shamefully. Some did the same and went back into education. It was an option for me only because was childfree and single. For people with families it must have been impossible.

I kept in touch with one or two people after I had left. There was a big re-organization and some of my colleagues ended up made redundant or on a temporary job share. So I got out in just the right time.

My husband works his own business (semi-retired). He takes all calls and email.

None of these are possible: "Refusing to do overtime
Not answering calls or emails outside work time
Working the exact hours one is paid for."

I suspect marking time is not applicable to most people.

Sago

I cannot imagine any profession whereby time off would be granted for an interview.

In teaching you cannot take a day's annual leave for an interview as they would typically take place in term time, so you'd have tell your boss.

JaneJudge

I'm really surprised the social gatherings thing is on there. Why should people be forced to socialise outside of work and how does that affect someones
impact inwork?

It’s entirely normal in law to be required to attend functions with clients. It’s called keeping and getting more business.

Luckygirl3

Sounds entirely reasonable to me. Do what you are paid to do and no more.

This Us-imported idea of your job/company being your life is unacceptable and unhealthy.

Good for anyone who takes a stand on this.

That’s not what you call a work ethic is it? Certainly won’t help you to get promotion or a pay rise. Sadly, though, exactly the attitude I encountered when I worked in local government.

Germanshepherdsmum

JaneJudge

I'm really surprised the social gatherings thing is on there. Why should people be forced to socialise outside of work and how does that affect someones
impact inwork?

It’s entirely normal in law to be required to attend functions with clients. It’s called keeping and getting more business.

Meeting clients is work though, in many industries. It is the open ended suggestion of 'social gatherings' I took that to mean with work colleagues

I’ve never done it, I always worked the time it took to get the job done, during a voluntary redundancy and later on in my life when I chose early retirement to live abroad.
I enjoyed my work and couldn’t let ‘customers’ down, that included colleagues, project members or myself.