BALANCE IS a top priority of Gen Z. While hustle culture is prevalent, the generation cares a lot more about well-being, allowing them to look out for themselves by voicing out their demands in the different work contexts.
Take quiet quitting as an example—the practice of adhering to minimum job stipulations, or more candidly, “acting your wage.” While it started out as a response to a lack of financial compensation, quiet quitting has become possible in non-corporate settings: When balance is offset by shifting weights and priorities, one must recalibrate the scales to their favor.
Above and beyond, or just enough?
These days, being well-rounded seems like a prerequisite for success. Achievers are no longer limited to the classroom, as they’re also found in organizations.
However, Council of Organizations of the Ateneo-Manila President Nina San Andres shares that she is not necessarily a fan of the “BS Org” phenomenon. “[Magis culture is] helpful because I know a lot [of people] get to help out in many ways, [but] it’s harmful because sometimes people don’t know when to stop. They keep trying to do more, even though it burns them out,” she shares.
For San Andres, organizational quiet quitters still do the work mainly because failing to do so puts one’s reputation at risk. In this non-corporate setting, monetary compensation is then replaced by the prestige of leadership positions. A sad byproduct of hustle culture is that people pursue these opportunities at the top because of their résumé value.
“If you’re the head of a certain org, they’d instantly associate you [with it] because you represent [it]. So, it’s definitely more difficult to quiet quit. I don’t think people would quit if they are held to that regard,” she shares in reference to a Twitter thread asking if student leaders’ views could be separated from their organizations.
Juggling the responsibilities that come with these opportunities is another story, especially when one must hit the brakes. For University of the Philippines Diliman student and intern Sab Precilla, fulfillment lies in having balance everywhere. Thus, she welcomed an internship for the learning experience. Then, Precilla recalls that recognition of her effort mattered more to her than monetary compensation.
Camaraderie and curiosity were the highs that sustained her for a while—until schoolwork started piling up. As she lost her footing, Precilla saw the need to quiet quit. Looking at the bigger picture reminded her that her internship is just one part of life. “My initial disappointment turned into self-awareness, and something I still think about is that I can excel if I know my limits,” Precilla shares.
Generational bridges, not gaps
In educational psychology, the zone of proximal development (ZPD) is the space between what a learner can learn unsupervised and what they can learn with guidance. Ed-tech startup KadaKareer’s Founder and PowerSchool’s Director of International Product Strategy Michi Ferreol shares that the ZPD at work is a “perfect middle ground between being overstretched and being too comfortable.”
In her career, Ferreol has seen both the 120% effort put in advocacy-based work alongside the long hours of doing management consulting work herself. While not feeling the tendencies herself, she says that quiet quitting is normal, especially when personal life must come first.
“Just doing what’s expected of you isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You shouldn’t always feel the need to supersede or go beyond, especially if there are other things that are more important to you,” Ferreol says.
On the other hand, Ferreol also points out that “acting our wages is a bit of a privilege.” Despite the supposed prevalence of quiet quitting, many people still go above and beyond at work, and a potential reason outside of motivation may as well be a fear of getting punished for “slacking off.”
As Ferreol works with Gen Z individuals, she sees a renewed approach towards work-life balance. “A lot of younger folks are seeing lifestyles that they could live other than working hard and putting pedal to the metal [because now] there’s a way to balance everything,” she shares.
Meeting in the middle
Ultimately, doing well and doing more are worthwhile goals—but excellence does not need to come at the expense of sanity. A thriving workplace and environment is a two-way street: People should strive to do well, but they must also be in places that make them want to do so.
“We’re moving to a state of the world that cares a lot more about balance, a lot of that is because we’ve burned ourselves [out]…. The fact that burnout has become an official disease classified by the World Health Organization is an indication of that,” Ferreol says.
Quiet quitting can technically be combated through better wages and company benefits. For Ferreol, this practice must start at the executive level, where work-life balance is non-negotiable, not a luxury.
Walking the tightrope of life and juggling responsibilities are no easy feats. Regaining one’s balance after an inevitable slip—with or without quiet quitting—helps anyone hit the sweet spot of growth and wellness.
