Quiet Quitting / Decline in Worker Productivity
- Thread starter DanielH
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This is part of the cross we bear. We have to show up. It's not enjoyable, especially the more you know, but I think bearing this up is part of the point.
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Really? I work five days a week and probably spend more time doing routine household tasks during my work from home “workday” than actually coding or whatever. Nobody notices. Nobody cares. In eight years at my job I don’t think I’ve ever worked a single hour of overtime. There are long stretches of boring meetings and barely any work. My company makes a boatload of money anyway.
I have a wife and two kids, live at the edge of the suburbs, live on basically one income, and money isn’t really an issue for us. Am I that much of a freak? Is this really weird?
We only have one car and it’s cheap, with a ~$200 a month payment. Is that the trick?
Brother I think I just have a different idea as to what "success" is. Sounds to me like you live a very good life, God Bless you and yours.
Perhaps @It_is_my_time would enjoy seeing how you live.
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Our family life can be a bit chaotic, but none of it would really be improved by having more money. Well, I guess it could if we hired a nanny, a housekeeper, a cook, and paid labor like that, but that’s not really what people generally seem to have in mind if they’re upset their family doesn’t have more cash.
I'm pretty fed up with my industry (IT). I just put in my 2 weeks (offered to do additional time) and they asked if I can do 4 which I tentatively agreed to.
I intend on completely slacking the whole time. What's the worst they can do? Fire me? Then I can collect unemployment, so it's a win-win.
Even before this though, I was slacking, and oddly enough they didn't do anything. Same thing with my last job. I think employers are losing a lot of power.
I'm done with this psuedo moralism when it comes to work relationships. People always warn you about burning bridges but I simply don't buy it. No one outside your company is going to remember your name or care about you, no matter how much you may be "talked" about with other companies (if that even happens at all). If you want a good reference from the company (or any company), just have your friend spoof his phone # and pretend to be a manager. Time to start thinking outside the box.
I 100% support the "quiet quitting" practice and while I do not have a problem with work in and of itself, I have a problem with the increasingly shitty jobs available; mediocre pay, no raises, hardly any PTO/holidays, high turnover/short staffedness, horrible benefits. My job literally paid $200 to be on call for an entire week.
I intend on completely slacking the whole time. What's the worst they can do? Fire me? Then I can collect unemployment, so it's a win-win.
Even before this though, I was slacking, and oddly enough they didn't do anything. Same thing with my last job. I think employers are losing a lot of power.
I'm done with this psuedo moralism when it comes to work relationships. People always warn you about burning bridges but I simply don't buy it. No one outside your company is going to remember your name or care about you, no matter how much you may be "talked" about with other companies (if that even happens at all). If you want a good reference from the company (or any company), just have your friend spoof his phone # and pretend to be a manager. Time to start thinking outside the box.
I 100% support the "quiet quitting" practice and while I do not have a problem with work in and of itself, I have a problem with the increasingly shitty jobs available; mediocre pay, no raises, hardly any PTO/holidays, high turnover/short staffedness, horrible benefits. My job literally paid $200 to be on call for an entire week.
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I've been thinking about this issue, and I think it really makes sense to quietly quit, especially if you work for one of the rainbow flag megacorporations with over 100,000 employees.
It might even be the most moral thing to do.
The fruits of the systemic relationship called work are being skimmed off by the state for about 50% and the financial owners for another 25%. Then, an entire hierarchical management tree needs to be paid to keep you in check while doing your job. The job feels more useless than ever, so more managers are hired to micromanage you as you work.
If you work for the state, it doesn't matter anyhow what you do. And if you have loads of money, others will work for you.
If you work at one of these megacorporations, maybe 10% of your work benefits you and your family, pushing the same mini-rotor day in, day out. You can perhaps keep 10% of the fruits you pluck.
This is too little in terms of pay and meaning. This is why the French keep striking, and we see many demonstrations all across Europe.
Being a taxable work slave keeps the system in check.
I think it's worthwhile to develop non-taxable skills, especially if you quietly quit and have some time at hand. My great-grandfather built his own home. It still stands. 100% of his labor went into his family's home. There is beauty in the simplicity of that.
This system we work in is too top-heavy, and it's slowly grinding to a halt. I feel less and less of an urge to contribute to the perversions of the state.
It might even be the most moral thing to do.
The fruits of the systemic relationship called work are being skimmed off by the state for about 50% and the financial owners for another 25%. Then, an entire hierarchical management tree needs to be paid to keep you in check while doing your job. The job feels more useless than ever, so more managers are hired to micromanage you as you work.
If you work for the state, it doesn't matter anyhow what you do. And if you have loads of money, others will work for you.
If you work at one of these megacorporations, maybe 10% of your work benefits you and your family, pushing the same mini-rotor day in, day out. You can perhaps keep 10% of the fruits you pluck.
This is too little in terms of pay and meaning. This is why the French keep striking, and we see many demonstrations all across Europe.
Being a taxable work slave keeps the system in check.
I think it's worthwhile to develop non-taxable skills, especially if you quietly quit and have some time at hand. My great-grandfather built his own home. It still stands. 100% of his labor went into his family's home. There is beauty in the simplicity of that.
This system we work in is too top-heavy, and it's slowly grinding to a halt. I feel less and less of an urge to contribute to the perversions of the state.
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Things are on a downward trend. That said, it doesn't affect how I operate or the choices I make. I would be doing the same things now if things were going upward instead.
At my age, it has already made great impacts on both how I live and the decisions I make. The last 25 years have been a fall off a cliff I never expected.
How often do you pray? And why do you obsess over that which you can't control? Life is lived when you let some things go. Try to remind yourself that the eye is the lamp of your body whenever you start to slip into negative thinking. Psalm 26 is a great help for this.
The Lord is my light and my saviour; whom then shall I fear?
The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?
When the wicked draw nigh against me to eat my flesh, they that afflict me and are mine enemies, they themselves became weak and they fell.
Though a host should array itself against me, my heart shall not be afraid; though war should rise up against me, in this have I hoped.
One thing have I asked of the Lord, this will I seek after: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may behold the delight of the Lord, and that I may visit His holy temple.
For He hid me in His tabernacle in the day of my troubles, He sheltered me in the secret place of His tabernacle, upon a rock hath He exalted me.
And now, behold, He exalted my head above mine enemies.
I went round about and I sacrificed in His tabernacle a sacrifice of praise and jubilation; I will sing and I will chant unto the Lord.
Hearken, O Lord, unto my voice, wherewith I cried; have mercy on me, and hearken unto me.
My heart said unto Thee: I will seek the Lord.
My face hath sought after Thee; Thy face, O Lord, will I seek.
Turn not Thy face from me and turn not away in wrath from Thy servant.
Be Thou my helper; cast me not utterly away, and forsake me not, O God my Saviour.
For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord hath taken me to Himself.
Set me a law, O Lord, in Thy way, and lead me in the right path because of mine enemies.
Deliver me not over unto the souls of them that afflict me, for unjust witnesses are risen up against me, and injustice hath lied to itself.
I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord; be thou manful, and let thy heart be strengthened, and wait on the Lord.
The Lord is my light and my saviour; whom then shall I fear?
The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?
When the wicked draw nigh against me to eat my flesh, they that afflict me and are mine enemies, they themselves became weak and they fell.
Though a host should array itself against me, my heart shall not be afraid; though war should rise up against me, in this have I hoped.
One thing have I asked of the Lord, this will I seek after: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may behold the delight of the Lord, and that I may visit His holy temple.
For He hid me in His tabernacle in the day of my troubles, He sheltered me in the secret place of His tabernacle, upon a rock hath He exalted me.
And now, behold, He exalted my head above mine enemies.
I went round about and I sacrificed in His tabernacle a sacrifice of praise and jubilation; I will sing and I will chant unto the Lord.
Hearken, O Lord, unto my voice, wherewith I cried; have mercy on me, and hearken unto me.
My heart said unto Thee: I will seek the Lord.
My face hath sought after Thee; Thy face, O Lord, will I seek.
Turn not Thy face from me and turn not away in wrath from Thy servant.
Be Thou my helper; cast me not utterly away, and forsake me not, O God my Saviour.
For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord hath taken me to Himself.
Set me a law, O Lord, in Thy way, and lead me in the right path because of mine enemies.
Deliver me not over unto the souls of them that afflict me, for unjust witnesses are risen up against me, and injustice hath lied to itself.
I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord; be thou manful, and let thy heart be strengthened, and wait on the Lord.
I've been applying to engineering jobs lately. I have about 5 years professional experience in engineering, but even so, I'm surprised at how few jobs there are on the market for engineers with 0-5 years of experience. It seems like there's tons of jobs in engineering/project management and other late stage career type jobs, but not many for newer engineers, and the ones that are there are barely paying any more than what they were five years ago when I got my current job, despite cost of living going up 50% or more. Maybe they're paying 15% more.
I'm wondering if companies are trying to avoid hiring people in the lower rungs and are instead just trying to squeeze the most they can out of the people they've identified as high-performers (apparently this is an actual term - quiet hiring - you identify a hard worker who has been with the company a while and give him higher level duties without a title or pay raise).
For engineers it seems like a difficult time to get started in your career. Not sure if I could recommend it to people graduating high school now, but I'm not sure what I would recommend.
Overall it seems very frustrating. People aren't getting compensated for their labor. I'm going to keep looking for jobs, I'm sure something will work out, just need to put a bit more effort into networking and applying than people used to.
I'm wondering if companies are trying to avoid hiring people in the lower rungs and are instead just trying to squeeze the most they can out of the people they've identified as high-performers (apparently this is an actual term - quiet hiring - you identify a hard worker who has been with the company a while and give him higher level duties without a title or pay raise).
For engineers it seems like a difficult time to get started in your career. Not sure if I could recommend it to people graduating high school now, but I'm not sure what I would recommend.
Overall it seems very frustrating. People aren't getting compensated for their labor. I'm going to keep looking for jobs, I'm sure something will work out, just need to put a bit more effort into networking and applying than people used to.
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I'm currently enrolled in an IT career change platform which would take me from a place of no experience to becoming an IT technician while working towards becoming a Cybersecurity Analyst, in around two or three years of moving through the ranks and gaining the necessary experience. I have not contributed much to it so far, and it expires officially in a few months, though I can probably request an extension to get it done if needed. Initially the reason I chose this field was because the salary on offer within Cybersecurity could easily support an entire family, after even a few years experience while extending the option to remote working which could allow me a more seamless relocation in the near future, if I choose to do so.
However given the outlook on the IT industry as a whole and all the "quiet quitting" people have been doing, it doesn't look so attractive overall and I'm strongly considering other options. I suspect I would get the sense of feeling trapped in this industry, especially as those roles are mostly beholden to globohomo corporations and values, there's always the exception but it looks pretty dim. Recently I was listening to a homily with Elder Athanasius Mitilianaios about the joy of spreading the gospel to those we meet or work with and how we should try to do this more often as Orthodox -- I was reflecting on how the world of IT and the people attracted to it are not so hungry for the gospel message and are probably the most primed and ready for the NWO antichrist global system when it rolls out in the coming years.
I've been considering a jump into HGV/LGV driving instead, where at least there is some adventure, practical/blue-collar mindset and constant supply of work in varying roles -- at least I know that's the case here in the UK. Also I've seen a number of lorries (the British term for "truck") with Crucifix's or Christian themes attached to the dashboard in LED light displays or other religious/eccentric designs, and I could see myself in a much better place spiritually if I entered this world of lorry drivers and blue-collar workers (mostly men of course though they are trying to encourage more women to join, alas...), who at least would have a simpler worldview and be less swayed by all the globohomo movements, while possibly being more open to Orthodoxy. It wouldn't pay as well as Cybersecurity and I couldn't do it remotely, but at least I'd have more liberty out on the road, be engaged and could express my faith to others more freely.
I suppose I'm just talking myself out of doing this IT course and trying to ease the burden I feel, having already contributed some money towards it (which I can't claim back) but I want to make the right choice now and walk the correct path today, rather than ending up years down the wrong road and sorely regretting it.
Then again, it is not my will but "Thy will be done", so it may not work out in the way I'm describing it and it could be something entirely different, so I have to be open to that possibility as well. Overall though, I'm feeling more inclined to blue-collar trades so I don't know why I chose the IT course to begin with. The money seemed attractive at the time, but this mercenary attitude feels wrong now and I'd rather get paid less doing something more nourishing, that could aid my worship to God through that work. It's been a radical re-orientation, knowing that through our work we are actively worshipping God and doing it for His glory, so manual jobs feel better suited to that, but I'm aware others are more suited for cerebral/tech-related fields and could work better for their own situation. Also I wouldn't want to be stuck in a dilemma of "quiet quitting", as this seems duplicitious but I don't judge people for doing so, given all the present conditions, it may be the more preferred option, as someone else pointed out.
However given the outlook on the IT industry as a whole and all the "quiet quitting" people have been doing, it doesn't look so attractive overall and I'm strongly considering other options. I suspect I would get the sense of feeling trapped in this industry, especially as those roles are mostly beholden to globohomo corporations and values, there's always the exception but it looks pretty dim. Recently I was listening to a homily with Elder Athanasius Mitilianaios about the joy of spreading the gospel to those we meet or work with and how we should try to do this more often as Orthodox -- I was reflecting on how the world of IT and the people attracted to it are not so hungry for the gospel message and are probably the most primed and ready for the NWO antichrist global system when it rolls out in the coming years.
I've been considering a jump into HGV/LGV driving instead, where at least there is some adventure, practical/blue-collar mindset and constant supply of work in varying roles -- at least I know that's the case here in the UK. Also I've seen a number of lorries (the British term for "truck") with Crucifix's or Christian themes attached to the dashboard in LED light displays or other religious/eccentric designs, and I could see myself in a much better place spiritually if I entered this world of lorry drivers and blue-collar workers (mostly men of course though they are trying to encourage more women to join, alas...), who at least would have a simpler worldview and be less swayed by all the globohomo movements, while possibly being more open to Orthodoxy. It wouldn't pay as well as Cybersecurity and I couldn't do it remotely, but at least I'd have more liberty out on the road, be engaged and could express my faith to others more freely.
I suppose I'm just talking myself out of doing this IT course and trying to ease the burden I feel, having already contributed some money towards it (which I can't claim back) but I want to make the right choice now and walk the correct path today, rather than ending up years down the wrong road and sorely regretting it.
Then again, it is not my will but "Thy will be done", so it may not work out in the way I'm describing it and it could be something entirely different, so I have to be open to that possibility as well. Overall though, I'm feeling more inclined to blue-collar trades so I don't know why I chose the IT course to begin with. The money seemed attractive at the time, but this mercenary attitude feels wrong now and I'd rather get paid less doing something more nourishing, that could aid my worship to God through that work. It's been a radical re-orientation, knowing that through our work we are actively worshipping God and doing it for His glory, so manual jobs feel better suited to that, but I'm aware others are more suited for cerebral/tech-related fields and could work better for their own situation. Also I wouldn't want to be stuck in a dilemma of "quiet quitting", as this seems duplicitious but I don't judge people for doing so, given all the present conditions, it may be the more preferred option, as someone else pointed out.
I've been seeing a lot of this lately. The world is getting so corrupted that most of the established careers out there are repulsive at least in some way to Christians, and people are getting disenchanted with the corporate ladder rat race thing we've been sold on and are just looking for something to do that will get them by without compromising morals.
Imagine being in any white collar field and telling yourself you're not going to work for LGBT advocating companies or companies that pay for abortions or otherwise are blasphemous or are doing research using aborted babies. You've instantly disqualified yourself for almost all of the biggest and highest paying tech, pharmaceutical, and finance related companies. And it seems to be encroaching on blue collar life as well.
A good friend of mine recently moved out of IT to work in a small privately owned lunch bar. While hard work, little pay, I have seen him become a lot more happy. After a few months he basically runs the place. Guess it's personal, but for him, no more screens, pure social interaction and a lot has given him a new joy in life.
This is why I'm always professing starting a business or just taking your profession/skills and going off on your own. Owning a business is a lot to handle and it's risky but the alternative of staying as a corporate wage slave has become so toxic it's barely an option anymore.
I have a relative a few years younger than me that went to school to become a physical therapist, got the degree and got a high tier job at a great hospital doing really well comes from a old school hardcore Christian family as all my relatives do. Whenever I see him all he talks about is the soul sucking conditions with the woke and anti Christian garbage at work. He has a couple young kids so it's hard but he really wants to just abandon his profession altogether and go manage his brothers office, his brother is a neurosurgeon. The job as an office manager would be beneath his skillset and it would mean he wasted a decade of his life in school but he would rather do that than to have to be fake every day and put up with the garbage at the hospital. It seems to be consuming him he talks about it more and more every time I see him which I understand, I can only imagine what it's like to be forced to put up with a woke anti Christian agenda to preserve your livelihood.
Posing is indeed soul crushing. Basically it's fear, you know you are sinning, but personal interests are keeping you there, you can sell it to yourself, "Well everywhere it's the same", "Why do I need to be the one to speak up, anyhow I speak up more than others", "Security is also important", "If I say something I will be fired or worked out". But it is slowly gnawing at you.
Anyhow I know all about it.
That's exactly where my cousin is with it. He's a nice quiet smart person from a strong Christian family, not the type to ever get too worked up about anything but lately every time I see him it's all he wants to talk about. I'm watching it eat his soul away little by little it seems. But with two young kids and looking to have more it's hard to tell someone they should change their life completely and take a risk. I always just try to listen and tell him it's for a higher purpose, it doesn't mean he has given in to it just because he has to play ball.
Luckily he has successful brothers and brother in laws, we have a very strong supportive family tree. If it ever got to the point where it was too much he will have options and he will land on his feet. I think for him it's a matter of feeling like a failure if he just abandons his profession maybe even more than the financial security of it.
Late comment. But I think having a walk and reading books is a better use of time than vegetating in front of the TV. Even tabletop games with family. Listening to homilies or Sermons.
Becoming a passive consumer isn't good for the soul ever.
People can be overwhelmed by macro-trends. But they are relevant to our personal efforts in so far as we best adapt to them. Otherwise it's in God's hands so prayer is the appropriate response for domains that aren't ours to begin with.