Quiet Quitting in the Philippines: What Is It and What Does It Entail?

What Does Quiet Quitting at Work Mean?

Quiet Quitting is defined as working within one’s defined scope of responsibilities without actively going above and beyond. One of the reasons employees no longer want to exceed work expectations is that their mental health and well-being have become more of a priority, a revelation brought about by the consequences of the pandemic. The work-from-home setups blurred work-life boundaries, adding more
stress and anxiety to the average employee. So, while there is a subset of people that do not want to resign from their jobs, they will also not do more than is required of them – hence, the prevalence of quiet quitting across different workplaces in the Philippines.

Voluntary Resignations Are at an All-Time High

In addition to quiet quitting at work, the Philippines experienced a 176% increase in voluntary resignations across all industries during the pandemic. Due to the undeniable numbers, this global phenomenon was coined “The Great Resignation”

Some of the reasons that are being looked at include:

Work-life balance - Generations Y (millennials) and Z look at work-life balance as a priority to ensure wellness and satisfaction. As leaders, it is crucial to understand this and adapt to their needs, as they now make up the majority of the workforce (59%).

Uncertainty over the recession

Salary cuts and cost-cutting measures

Availability of benefits from competitors

A lack of career development and advancement

A lack of training for leadership and management chains to create psychologically safe workspaces

Forced Unemployment

The Pandemic Also Caused Widespread Forced Unemployment

According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), more than 420,000 Filipinos lost their jobs in 2020 due to businesses being forced to shut down. Additionally, the number of unemployed Filipinos almost doubled a year after the onset: from 2.4 million in January 2020 to over 4 million Filipinos by January 2021.

The National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) reported that the calls they received via their suicide hotline more than doubled at the beginning of the pandemic, with concerns primarily revolving around financial instability and unemployment.

It is well known that quiet quitting, voluntary resignations, and forced unemployment today are products of poor business planning, subpar employee prioritization, and the economic effects of the pandemic. However, the responsibility of leaders and businesses remains the same: how do we create the optimal working environment where we can hold space for employees to feel supported, whether in times of crisis or times of prosperity?

Learn about how Mind You helps create psychologically safe spaces for working communities by sending us an email at letstalk@mindyou.com.ph.

Are you ready to take the next step in your organization’s mental well-being?