Quiet quitting means doing the work your job requires and nothing more. People who quiet quit stop going above and beyond, like answering emails after hours or taking on unpaid extra projects, but they keep their jobs. You’ll also hear it called silent resignation or stealth resignation.

Where the term quiet quitting came from

The phrase took off in July 2022. Engineer Zaid Khan popularized it with a viral TikTok video that month. It quickly joined other workplace TikTok trends, and many creators called the same idea “acting your wage.”

The behavior itself isn’t new—it’s just a new name for an old behavior. Like doomscrolling, the term caught on because it gave people a simple label for a shared experience.

Sprout Social’s listening data shows how fast that label spread in 2022. Quiet quitting reached over 2.18 billion social impressions. Social volume rose 14,000% between August 17 and August 31, 2022.

Why quiet quitting matters

Quiet quitting covers a wide spectrum of behaviors. Some people set firm boundaries, like logging off after a 40-hour week. Others pull back from their work entirely.

It’s often a direct response to burnout or feeling undervalued at work. Social teams know this pressure well from social media burnout.

Gallup equates quiet quitters with employees who are “not engaged” at work. In 2022, Gallup’s quiet quitting research found they made up at least 50% of the US workforce.

The trend hasn’t faded. Gallup’s latest US engagement data shows engagement fell to 29% in Q3 2026, while 53% of employees were not engaged.

If you lead a team, take action to support your people. Set realistic workloads, recognize their contributions and create space for honest conversations about what they need to feel engaged.

Quiet quitting vs. quiet cracking

People often mix up these two terms, but they describe different experiences. Quiet quitting is a deliberate choice to set limits at work.

TalentLMS coined quiet cracking in 2025. It describes ongoing workplace unhappiness that leads to disengagement, poor performance and a stronger desire to quit.

In short, quiet quitters choose their limits. People who are quiet cracking feel worn down and want out.

Start a free trial to spot emerging workplace trends like quiet quitting with Sprout’s intuitive social listening tools.