The professional landscape isn’t necessarily fair for everyone. While some people earn more for a relatively small amount of work, others grind hard but may not make substantially large money as their peers. 

Likewise, the lack of interest in a job and other demotivational factors can often force a person to quietly quit, and it’s a trend that goes on around the globe. 

However, the rate of quiet quitting in Singapore leaves a question mark on several aspects of professional life in the country. Compared to the global average, 35 per cent of Singaporeans quietly quit their job, which is 4 per cent greater than the global average.

This post will feature some of the prominent quiet quitter stories to demystify the cause behind the country’s high quit rate.

What is Quiet Quitting?

Let’s say you just came out of the Employment Pass Services Centre in Singapore with a newly issued employment pass, hoping to secure a rewarding job in the country. After getting hired and working diligently for some time, you start feeling disengaged from the job and lacking commitment. 

Eventually, you either leave the job without making a proper exit or lose interest in the job, doing only what is required of you. 

This passive approach towards quitting or losing interest in a job is known as ‘Quiet Quitting’. 

Why Do Employees Quiet Quit?

In a recent survey, quiet quitting employees mentioned various reasons for quitting their job. 

• 41 per cent mentioned they wanted to improve their work-life balance
• 38 per cent stated low compensation for quiet quitting
• 33 per cent said there was no career growth in their job role

School Teacher Quiet Quits After Finding Out Pay Disparities with Her Peers –

Nancy, a school teacher in Singapore, decided to quit quietly after finding out that her coworkers made considerably more money than her. Even though they shared the same workload, Nancy was not rewarded equally.

Hence, she stopped planning lessons with more interest and aimed to do only what was required of her. She explains that the interest and urge to make the lessons more engaging and fun for students had gone out of the window. Eventually, she questioned herself, ‘What’s the point?’ 

Nancy mentioned that her superior clarified that pay disparity citing that she only held a diploma while her coworkers held a better degree.

To bridge the salary gap, Nancy now seeks degree classes at night. It’s she perfect response as she decides to take control and set things straight again.

15 Years’ Experienced Engineer Quiet Quits Due to Wage Differences –

Danny, an engineer in Singapore and a father of two kids, explains how he felt unappreciated after learning about the wage difference between him and his expatriate coworkers. He lost his passion and interest in the job. Even though he felt his compensation was fair, he felt ‘absolutely furious’ when he discovered that his colleagues were making a few thousand dollars more. 

As he felt underappreciated, he performs at the minimum, even less than his coworkers, who get paid more. 

Unfriendly Work Environment Forces Air Stewardess to Quiet Quit –

Air Stewardess Hazel explained how she was so excited about her new job role after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. Unfortunately, the job role demanded staying away from her loved ones. 

Moreover, she had to deal with rude passengers and uncaring coworkers, which made it even harder for her to continue the job. However, since she signed a 3-year contract, she couldn’t quit the job yet.

But she has quiet quit, not attempting to go the extra mile for her profession.

Conclusion: 

Calming Hearts Counseling Therapist Caroline Ho says that quiet quitting doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a gradual process. Lisa Oak, the CEO of Executivecounselling.com, says that the cause for quiet quitting could be something totally unrelated to work. However, being kind to yourself is essential if you feel the urge to quit.

Have you ever been a quiet quitter? Tell us in the comment section below.