The news has been abuzz with commentary on “quiet quitting” lately. But with much of the discussion on the topic revolving around white-collar office jobs, it can be hard to see how the matter pertains to restaurant workers. Quiet quitting might manifest differently in restaurants, but it’s still alive, well, and worth understanding.
What is Quiet Quitting?
Popular terminology might deem the practice quiet quitting today, but there have been other names for the practice – it’s been called “lying flat” in the past and is famously also referred to as “working to rule.” Put simply, quiet quitting is an employee doing nothing more than the requirements listed in their job description.
On the surface, this seems somewhat logical – an employee performing their listed job requirements doesn’t appear in any way as though it’s a negative thing. But many jobs encourage employees to go above and beyond to prove their value to their employer by performing duties outside the realm of baseline employer expectations.
In this way, the restaurant industry is like every other. For those operating in front-of-house positions, it’s not uncommon for employees to take on additional duties or perform tasks without expecting further compensation or recognition. In many restaurants, training new employees doesn’t come with additional payment, for instance. Quiet quitting might manifest here as neglecting a duty like training because it doesn’t fall under the purview of “serving guests.”
For many employees, quiet quitting is a form of setting boundaries in a professional context. Many operational responsibilities in the restaurant industry are intended to be shared but routinely fall on more capable workers due to necessity and ability. Unfortunately, this also magnifies the workload placed on those employees.
Quiet quitting may begin in restaurants where this problem becomes chronic; employees may realize that those tasks simply aren’t their responsibility and choose not to bear that burden.
Causes of Quiet Quitting
Truthfully, quiet quitting is a byproduct, a symptom of more significant problems in the workplace.
Quiet quitting is, by its nature, a response to a working environment. If a job pays the bills but provides no upward mobility like promotions or benefits, there’s no real incentive for an employee to break their back trying to perform extra labor. Without the burdens of trying to carry additional responsibility, an employee can perform well within the boundaries of what their job title expects from them while also relieving unnecessary stress and physical exhaustion.
Restaurant work is unquestionably punishing. The hours can be long and odd, the jobs themselves can be physically demanding, and sometimes dealing with clientele can be emotionally exhausting.
Taking on a broader workload comes with additional costs to a worker’s energy level and attention, frequently not resulting in any change in pay. To preserve that energy, a worker simply has to pass on the opportunity to stand out as “exemplary.” This is an easy choice for many employees in the current job market, especially those younger than 35.
Counteracting Quiet Quitting
If you’re looking to mitigate quiet quitting in your restaurant or business, there are a few solutions that can help. The most obvious is simply to pay higher-performing employees better based on their performance. Offer raises based on a track record of excellent work, offer them confidently, and don’t skimp on these amounts.
Never lose sight of the fact that your employees' pay is a state of constant negotiation, and if someone’s professional growth is meteoric and enthusiastic, this employee is showing you they’re a valuable commodity. Without an incentive to prove it, they may never become regarded as such.
It’s also critical in trying to mitigate quiet quitting that you do not lean into punitive action. An employee performing the extent of their duties isn’t a failure. In the existing incentive structure, they’re maximizing the value of their own labor.
Resorting to punishments like revoking shifts, write-ups, private meetings, and so on may actually come to reinforce their belief that they shouldn’t be expending the extra energy on their workplace. An employer seen as unfair in their expectations and punitive when those expectations aren’t met may soon end up with fewer employees than needed for normal operations.
Some Final Thoughts
Despite discussion at length here, none of this is a new phenomenon. To some extent, workers doing only the tasks they’re expected to do is almost a media trope. It’s the broader perception of these actions that is changing. In a world very frustrated with limitations and stagnancy of workplace mobility and upward progress, quiet quitting feels like a very logical response.
The best way to avoid worrying about quiet quitting in your business is to avoid letting those feelings grow and fester under your roof. Though this may seem counterintuitive initially, the truth is that you’re cultivating a positive and connected workplace culture by ensuring fair work for fair pay. If you make your restaurant a place where your staff feels like they have the chance to grow, they’ll have no interest in quitting, quietly or otherwise.
Megan Prevost is a marketing content writer for MustHaveMenus. Her work has appeared in App Institute, FanSided, FSR, Modern Restaurant Management, PMQ, RestoBiz, Small Business Currents, and The Daily Fandom.
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