You’re overly cynical
Making frequent negative comments about your job to fellow employees may seem like a normal occurrence, but it may actually be a sign of quiet-quitting. Having a constantly defeatist, cynical approach to your work shows that you’ve mentally checked out, lowering your overall productivity levels.
Your quality of work is poor
Frequently getting chastised by your manager isn’t a nice experience, though it can be a symptom of quiet-quitting. Constant calls to the office may be because your quality of work has significantly dropped, usually due to a lack of motivation or incentive. If you’ve mentally withdrawn from your work responsibilities, it may be time to look at new career prospects.
You stick to your hours
There’s no issue with working your designated hours, leaving your responsibilities at work when you head home for the day. What is an issue, however, is if you’re constantly clock-watching, waiting for the day to end, clocking out on precisely time – down to the very second.
You put less effort into the dress code
If you work in an office-based environment, you may have noticed that you put less effort into your appearance, potentially scrimping on the dress code. A lack of enthusiasm toward your workplace’s regulations shows that you’re starting to become apathetic to the organization as a whole, slowly letting your lowered standards seep into your work.
You do the bare minimum
You may have changed your engagement levels in the workplace, no longer going above and beyond your expected role. Instead of pushing to do the best of your ability, you may be doing the absolute bare minimum, taking your time to achieve your tasks in a relaxed, slow-paced manner.
Sick days are becoming more common
When you first started your job, you may have never taken a sick day, persevering through illnesses in order to perform at the best of your ability. Now, you could ring in sick with the common cold, unable to summon the enthusiasm to face the office. There’s nothing wrong with taking care of yourself, of course, but make sure it’s for the right reasons.
You’re starting to miss deadlines
Missing deadlines, ignoring emails, and having overdue projects are all signs of an employee who is rapidly disconnecting from their role. If you exhibit any of these behaviors, you likely don’t care about any negative repercussions from your superiors, perhaps even half-wishing that you’ll get fired from your unfavorable position.
You rarely engage with your colleagues
Skipping meetings, remaining silent during discussions, and a refusal to socialize with your colleagues are all big signs of a quiet-quitter. You may not wish to form any meaningful connections with your workmates, subconsciously knowing that you’ve got one eye fixed firmly on pastures new.
You have no interest in career progression
You may have no interest in progressing your career, wanting to rip your hair out every time you’re told about the company’s sales and figures. Treating a job as a means to an end is completely acceptable, but if you went from being a hungry, ambitious employee to being filled with apathy, clearly something’s wrong in regards to your workplace.
You have a “not my job” attitude
Someone who is engaged with their work will go over and above their responsibilities. If you’re a quiet-quitter, you may have noticed yourself palming off a lot of tasks onto other employees, arguing that it isn’t part of your pay grade. Focusing on your individual responsibilities and refusing to act as part of a team shows that you’re completely disengaged from your work.
You skip meetings
You may look for every excuse under the sun to avoid company meetings, not able to find the inner motivation to sit through another slog of company statistics. Quiet quitters have little to no interest in performance or sales – nor do they have any regard for the company’s future goals, making meetings a pointless affair.
You feel disengaged
At your core, you simply don’t care about your job. Filled with apathy, you have little regard for any part of your work, simply going through the motions until you can make it home for the day. While you may be fulfilling your physical work duties, emotionally you’ve completely checked out.
You’re frequently late to work
Consistently being late for work may seem like a sign of bad timekeeping, but it can have deeper connotations. Strolling into the office 15 minutes after your start time every day shows a lack of care for company policy and a lack of respect for your higher-ups. Often, being late is the first sign of a quiet quitter – the initial act of rebellion.
You don’t attend team building events
Team building activities may be your idea of a nightmare, unable to think of anything worse than spending your day completing puzzles with your colleagues. You may provide a slew of excuses as to why you can’t attend, but the truth is you simply have no desire to show up. If it’s not outlined in your contract, you’re not doing it.
You take longer breaks than you should
Break time is one of the best parts of the working day, giving you time to decompress and relax before you get back to the grind. If you’re constantly taking longer breaks, however, it can show a level of disinterest in your workload, willing to trade productivity for relaxation.
You’re looking for other jobs – on company time
Needless to say, if you’re searching for jobs on company time, you hold your current position in low regard. If you find yourself on the job hunt while you’re on the clock, your days at your ongoing position are likely numbered, exhibiting a growing sense of desperation to escape your soul-crushing workplace.
You’re not accessible
Muting work chats, enabling auto-replies on emails, and putting your phone on do not disturb are all signs of a quiet quitter. While it’s important to establish work-life boundaries, forever being inaccessible – even while you’re on the clock – portrays a worker who’s completely disengaged from their role.
You never show initiative
Quiet quitters will never tackle a problem head-on, instead preferring to pass the matter at hand to their superiors. On the flip side, highly motivated, engaged employees will relish the chance of proving themselves, solving issues in a heartbeat. If you see yourself as the former, you may be quiet quitting without even realizing it.
You feel burnt-out
Naturally, if you’re experiencing burnout, your work is going to suffer. The two are related, creating a vicious cycle. A lack of enthusiasm for your responsibilities can lead to an unsatisfied, unfulfilling, overworked lifestyle, creating a burnt-out employee. If you’re regularly feeling like this, it’s time to begin the job hunt.
You dread going to work
Most of us experience work dread at some point or another, wishing the weekend would last just a tad longer. If it’s a daily occurrence at an almost deliberating level, however, it can drastically affect your work ethic, essentially turning you into a quiet quitter. If you truly dislike your job, you’re unlikely to be performing to the best of your ability.
You never help out
You may be constantly unwilling to help out, never going beyond your job expectations. A stubborn refusal to complete even the simplest favors, like making a round of coffees for your fellow office workers, is a clear sign of someone who’s mentally checked out of their job.
You never do overtime
You’re under no obligation to do overtime – simply working your set hours is always acceptable. However, a complete and utter refusal to even stay on an extra hour during busy times of the year is a huge indication of an employee who’s slowly and surely withdrawing from their job role, apathetic about the strain it may have on their fellow employees.
You wouldn’t care if you got fired
Money aside, you wouldn’t care less if you got fired from your job. In fact, you may subconsciously be willing it to happen, wishing that the choice was taken away from you, forcing your hand to find a new profession. If you feel this way, it may be best to jump ship before you’re pushed.
You never speak up in meetings
On the rare occasion you do attend work meetings, you’re likely hiding away at the back somewhere, slinking down into your chair. Instead of seeing it as an opportunity to have an open flow of communication in your workplace, you use company meetings as a chance to skive off, hiding in the shadows.
You work from home more than you should
For those in a hybrid remote work environment, you may find yourself working from home far more often than you should. Unwilling to deal with the hustle and bustle of the office, you use a slew of excuses to continue to isolate yourself, putting physical distance between you and your job.
You barely speak to your manager
You may purposely avoid your manager, unable to conjure a farce of work-related interest. Dodging your boss and refusing to engage with them even on a social level are signs that you have little to no interest in your work – wishing to forever fly under the radar.
You feel unsupported
Quiet quitting isn’t always the fault of the employee. More often than not, it’s the sign of a rotten workplace, the company culture leading to a band of apathetic workers. If you feel unsupported by your superiors, it can lead to symptoms of quiet quitting – shrugging off your responsibilities due to a lack of employee care.
You feel trapped at your job
Perhaps you’ve been at the company for a while, discovering that your performance makes little difference to your job security, sapping all of your work-related motivation. You may have resigned yourself to another 20 years of going through the motions at work, strangely comfortable with your misery.
You constantly skive off
Your work day may be comprised of several water-cooler chats, unlimited rounds of coffee-making, and endless email refreshes, giving the illusion of productivity. Not only does this lead to an unsatisfying work life, but it also echoes the mantra of a quiet quitter: do as little as humanly possible, without getting caught.
You feel like your workplace is toxic
If your workplace is toxic, it’s only natural to slip into the mindset of a quiet quitter. Toxic workplaces can demotivate employees in an instant, leading to high staff turnover, miserable workers, and an air of apathy. Quiet quitting a toxic workplace while you try and line something else up is more common than you may think.
You spend most of your day in the bathroom
If you spend more time than necessary in the office bathroom, you’re clearly attempting to skimp out on work time. Sitting on the toilet while you endlessly scroll through your phone is hardly a sign of an engaged employee. Eventually, your unenthused ways are likely to catch up with you.
You pretend to look busy
Quiet quitters are pros at pretending to look busy. Ensuring that their computer screens are switched on, endlessly refreshing emails while they pretend to type – these unengaged employees will do anything but work, knowing that they can fly under the radar by doing less than the bare minimum.
You think your workload isn’t worth your wage
Ultimately, our main motivation for working day-in and day-out is to receive money at the end of the month. If your salary is lacking, it’ll naturally lead to a less-than-enthused, unmotivated work ethic, choosing to work at a pace that’s more fitting of your pay packet.
You feel apathetic about your performance
Working in a goal-focused environment usually leads to highly competitive, motivated employees who go above and beyond to produce satisfactory results at the end of the week. If you couldn’t care less either way, content instead to simply coast along, it may be a sign you’ve mentally withdrawn from your work. This rings particularly true if you once possessed a go-getter attitude.
You don’t speak to your colleagues outside of work
You don’t have to be best buds with your coworkers – you’re there to do a job at the end of the day. However, if you point-blank refuse to engage with any of your colleagues outside of work hours – not even replying to a text or email – it shows that you’re purposely withdrawing from any form of emotional connection in the workplace.
You’ve given up trying to meet unrealistic expectations
High levels of pressure can lead to employees exhibiting classic symptoms of quiet quitting. If your ridiculously high workload is putting a strain on your mental health, it’s natural to take a step back to prioritize your own sanity over unachievable expectations. Instead of putting your job at risk, communicate with your manager about their unrealistic targets.
Your colleagues have noticed a change in you
Your colleagues know you better than most, spending the majority of the week by your side. If your coworkers begin to notice your apathetic attitude – perhaps because your lack of productivity has led to a higher strain on them – it’s clear that your work mentality has drastically shifted.
You don’t listen to your boss
An unwillingness to listen to your boss shows that you may be quiet quitting. Whether it’s because you don’t respect their position or simply because you’ve mentally withdrawn from your role in the company as a whole, not following clear orders shows that you’ve got one eye fixed on the door.
You don’t see yourself working there in a year’s time
When you look to the future, do you see yourself still working at your current job? If you answered no, it’s likely that you’re exhibiting signs of a quiet quitter. Without long-term goals in place at your current position, it’s easy to slip into habits that could ultimately lead to your premature dismissal.
You have no job satisfaction
Feeling no job satisfaction leads to minimal, almost subpar effort. If you go home at the end of the day and explode into a tirade of endless complaints, you’re unlikely to return to the office the next day and give it your all. If you feel dissatisfied in your workplace, there’s little motivation to do any more than the bare minimum.