You’ve probably hear the term “quiet quitting” over the last 12 months. In fact, you may be a quiet quitter.

It’s been a growing trend, where employees have decided enough is enough and refuse to put in any more time and effort in outside of working hours. Which, of course, is fair enough. But is it still in existence today, or was it merely a fad?

One of the reasons for this trend is that employees are feeling more burnt out and stressed than ever before. The pandemic has brought with it a new set of challenges, including increased workloads, remote working, and a blurring of the boundaries between work and home life. This has resulted in many workers feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope, leading them to reconfigure what is a priority in their life.

It’s no real surprise. More people than ever before are suffering with anxiety and depression around the workplace, while the rising number of people turning to substances such as alcohol and drugs in order to cope also has seen a sharp rise. Alcoholism rehab centres are becoming noticably fuller, and it’s often down to careers.

While many thought that the pandemic may have seen the last of quiet quitting, the cost of living crisis is also playing its part. Then there’s the war in Ukraine, climate change. There’s a lot going on in our brains, and stepping back from work where able to is still a big thing.

There’s absolutely no sign that quiet quitting will go away during 2023, but at the same time, while it does slow down, the spirit of it will live on according to reports.

Vivek Murthy, a US surgeon general, told The Guardian: “Today, more and more workers are worried about making ends meet, dealing with chronic stress and struggling to balance the demands of both work and personal lives. The toll on their mental health is growing.

“The pandemic … sparked a reckoning among many workers who no longer feel that sacrificing their health, family and communities for work is an acceptable trade off.”

The article went on to say that 2023 could in fact go one step further though, to the Great Resignation, as people go beyond downing tools outside of hours, and in fact leave all-together, seeking more stress-free employment.

It will be interesting to see what happens over the coming year, but the times are certainly changing when it comes to how we view our worklives, and employers are going to have to move with those times.