The term "quiet quitting" has become one of the most famous labor narratives.

Its definition is basic: Instead of 110%, you do the bare minimum.

Alarm bells are ringing in many HR departments amid an apparent rise in disgruntled employees' "quiet quitting" at their workplace.

What's it about?

Julia Hapkemeyer, a psychologist and managing partner at the human resources consulting company EO Institut in Berlin, describes quiet quitting as "an attitude about work in which I have consciously decided to withdraw my commitment."

As a rule, preceding this stage is when the employee once showed a willingness to work and engagement. But then, somewhere along the line, a kind of breach took place in the expectations of the employee and employer about their relationship.

If an employee's effort is not appreciated, it can come in an inner resignation, Hapkemeyer says. Often, there is also a withdrawal from colleagues.

Jannike Stoehr, a former personnel officer and now a career consultant, says that what might trigger this can be disappointment about not being promoted or, despite good performance, not being given new tasks. "People want to do a good job, but if they are always discouraged, this can lead to inner resignation."

Employee’s energy ebbs

But there’s a problem with quietly quitting: Usually, the dissatisfaction continues. Employees can look at various factors and realize that they have resigned internally. "The most important characteristic is that things used to be different," says Hapkemeyer. "And that doesn’t have to refer to performance, but also to working with others."

Imaginable is a situation where you are no longer ready "to look left and right" and no longer prepare the rest of your team for your upcoming holidays. "Because I think they should see how well they will cope next week" is how Hapkemeyer describes the thought process of the dissatisfied worker.

But your condition suffers from this, Stoehr says. "That feeling like when you get out of bed in the morning in a bad mood, with no joy and not even able to feel any anger." The feeling that one’s energy is visibly ebbing away.

But is there a path out of internal emptiness? Hapkemeyer’s advice is to find a new approach to your work. "A cognitive re-assessment can help me to accept how things are and to decide to stay," she says. Those who experience permanent stress and dissatisfaction can also head for an outside contact point to get some advice.

Jannike Stoehr advises employees to examine their pattern of thinking and to be clear about how they can help achieve an improvement. The answer to such questions as "Why am I here? What’s good about it? What do I want?" can lead the way forward. An "awareness about your own path" usually has a positive effect.

Seeking outside help

The supervisor can provide the best support in finding a way to cut off the situation. But since it is precisely a troubled relationship with the boss that often triggers the crisis, another possibility is to go to the human resources office or the works council.

Jannike Stoehr points out that mediation can lead to improvement, while Julia Hapkemeyer suggests this: "What can help the person might also be to change departments or get new responsibilities."

If the state of internal resignation persists, employees will eventually have to explore their options. "Changing jobs is not always the best option," says Stoehr. "If certain aspects bother me, it makes sense to discuss it and make the urgency clear to get something changed."

At the same time, notes Julia Hapkemeyer, the question of your health is also important: Where depressive moods are already emerging, a workplace change should be considered if possible.