Courtesy of Gabrielle Judge
- Gabrielle Judge spent over a year and a half quiet quitting her software job.
- Judge says she felt like there was so little upward momentum in her career before she finally quit.
- She says Gen Z is trying to cement the work-life balance that millennials tried to bring to the workplace.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Gabrielle Judge, a 26-year-old content creator who "quiet quit" her last job. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I quiet quit my last job, and it's one of the best things I've ever done for myself professionally. People define it differently, but to me quiet quitting is fulfilling your job responsibilities and contract hours without going above and beyond for a workplace that just won't love you back.
When I became an account manager in the software development space, I specifically chose a job I could quiet quit. I didn't want to give my entire body and soul to a company — I purposefully chose a job where I wasn't constantly challenged.
I showed up to my job and did what I was required to do, but I didn't show initiative to push myself beyond that. I didn't take on extra responsibilities or try to prove myself to chase an ever-elusive raise that I felt would be held just out of my reach.
I spent over a year and a half quiet quitting my software job
It was great for me. I didn't live for my work; I worked to be able to live. I didn't go to happy hours, take on extra projects, or change my life to better fit myself to the company. I just spent that time doing the work I was being paid to do — another term for this is "acting your wage."
I eventually left that position when I was asked to work more without being given a pay raise. At that point, my business and my work as a content creator was starting to blow up so it was just the right time for me to leave.
Sometimes it felt like there was so little upward momentum in my career
Part of the reason people are drawn to quiet-quitting is because it can feel like there's little upward momentum. I've seen people in my generation trying so hard and not be rewarded. When we ask about raises, we're told we need to prove ourselves just to even open up that conversation.
I feel employers could make things so much simpler by being frank and honest with their employees. Just tell us if you don't have the budget for a raise. Don't make us jump through hoops to try to get to something that doesn't even exist.
It's harder to sell Gen Z the pipe dream that working hard for a company will make us more successful
I'm 26 years old, the oldest of Gen Z, and we're getting the same flak I watched millennials get before us. People think we don't want to work hard or excel in our careers, but that's really not what quiet quitting is about.
The truth about Gen Z is that we watched millennials suffer through extreme economic hardships and now it's harder to sell a pipe dream to us. We've seen the realities of what working is like.
We know that we're just a number to employers and just because we go "above and beyond" at work, that doesn't mean we're guaranteed a pay raise — or even job stability.
People should feel free to say no to extra work
I feel like employees are taken advantage of on a daily basis in this country. I'm not suggesting anyone commit wage theft or eschew their job responsibilities, but people should feel free to do the work they're paid for and say no to extra work.
Quiet-quitting is all about the end goal which is work-life balance. That's what millennials tried to bring to the workplace and what Gen Z is trying to cement. We want to have both our work and our lives. Quiet-quitting is one way to do that.
If an employer is wondering whether or not their employees are quiet-quitting, I suggest communicating with their team. When employees feel like their needs are being met and they're being paid fairly, they'll be motivated. If not, they may quiet quit.