Having professional boundaries are beneficial for both employees and the companies they work for, according to a new study.
In fact, the new study by LendingTree found that 57% of quiet quitters said their work-life balance improved as a result of setting professional boundaries. Amid the Great Resignation, millions of workers worldwide left their jobs in search of greater satisfaction at work. For those that stayed, another movement, quiet quitting, took hold.
Described as a trend in the workplace where employees refuse to go above and beyond without additional pay, 59% of quiet quitters say they were doing so before the term was coined. The movement is primarily driven by younger workers with 40% of Gen Zers and 33% of Millennials admitting to quiet quitting.
Key findings from the study showed that of the 30% of workers who are quiet quitting in the US, 57% say that their work-life balance has improved. This figure jumped to 65% for working parents with kids under 18. Interestingly, 59% of quiet quitters said they were already doing so before they learned about the term. However, 26% said they started checking out after learning about the movement. Setting boundaries with work has proved beneficial for some workers as 40% of quiet quitters say they are more engaged at work than in the past.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE MATTERS
“The last thing anyone wants is to feel taken advantage of in their job, and laying down some guardrails when it comes to your job responsibilities can help you make sure that doesn’t happen,” stated Matt Schulz, Chief Credit Analyst at LendingTree. “That doesn’t mean that you should never put in extra hours or that you can’t ever help out with things that are a little out of your job description every once in a while. It just means you’re willing to speak up when you feel something is out of bounds.”
Layoffs hitting the headlines are also of concern as some workers fear that disengaging at work may come back to haunt them. Over a quarter of quiet quitters don’t feel secure in their role, compared to just 10% of non-quiet quitters. This unease has some quiet quitters hesitant to cut back on their work as 36% say they work more than their required hours and 42% don’t use all their paid time off.
Of the 2,000 surveyed by LendingTree, 36% of workers say they’re actively searching for a new role compared to 56% of quiet quitters. “If you can’t resolve your issues with your employer, it may make sense to find another job that you might find more engaging or motivating,” Schulz added. “However, you can’t know if a problem is fixable if it’s never really openly addressed in the first place.”
TIPS FOR SETTING BOUNDARIES
Schulz’ top three tips for setting professional boundaries at work, include:
Communicate, communicate, communicate.
“Your co-workers may have no idea that there is a problem unless you speak up,” explained Schulz. “Plus, honest, open discussions with your supervisor and co-workers can help you craft realistic boundaries that will work for your team while also helping you achieve your work-life balance goals. And once those boundaries are established, make sure to let someone know if they’ve overstepped them.”
Know that compromise will be necessary.
“It’s important to set firm boundaries, but they also need to be ones that are realistic and respect those you work with,” Schulz noted. “For example, don’t be surprised if you get pushback on a boundary if it means a much bigger workload for a co-worker. That doesn’t mean you have to throw out that boundary altogether. It just means that you may need to sit down with the person in question and work out something that could work for both of you.”
If all else fails, don’t be afraid to leave.
“The grass certainly isn’t always greener on the other side, but if your current company isn’t willing to work with you sufficiently on giving you more work-life balance, it may be time for you to go,” concluded Schulz.
Check out the full report here.
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