Last year, the concept of quiet quitting gained attention as employees began emphasising boundaries by refraining from taking on extra work or going the extra mile in their jobs. 

While quiet quitting is the rejection of the hustle culture, there is a growing number of workers who are no longer concealing their discontentment from work. Instead, they are embracing a phenomenon known as loud quitting.

According to a recent report by Gallup, approximately 18% of employees worldwide are loud quitting or displaying active disengagement. The report surveyed over 120,000 global employees to arrive at this finding.

As per the definition provided by the consulting company, loud quitters are employees who undertake actions that not only harm the organization directly but also undermine its objectives and show opposition to its leaders.

“At some point along the way, the trust between employee and employer was severely broken. Or the employee has been woefully mismatched to a role, causing constant crises,” said the report.

While the majority of global employees (59%) practice quiet quitting, a mere 23% of survey respondents describe themselves as thriving or engaged in their work.

According to Gallup, low-engagement workers are causing an approximate loss of $8 trillion to the global economy, which accounts for about 9% of the global GDP.

″[They] represent an immense opportunity for economic growth … Leadership and management directly influence workplace engagement, and there is much that organizations can do to help their employees thrive at work.”

The implications of loud quitting for companies

Gallup emphasized that loud quitting should not be overlooked as it can indicate "significant risks" within an organization. One notable concern is that actively disengaged employees tend to experience considerably higher levels of workplace stress.

As stated in the report, loud quitters (56%) reported feeling "a lot of stress" on a daily basis, while engaged employees (30%) experienced significantly lower levels of daily stress.

Unsurprisingly, employees who are actively disengaged are also more likely to turn loud quitting into an actual resignation — 61% of them are actively seeking a new job, compared to 43% of engaged workers, the report added.

Gallup's analysis reveals that both quiet and loud quitting employees are more likely to switch jobs for a lower salary, whereas engaged employees would require a 31% pay increase to consider a job switch.

On average, employees who are not engaged or actively disengaged require a 22% increase in pay in order to be motivated to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Quiet quitters: An accessible target for change? 

There is still room for hope, as quiet quitters can be viewed as a company's "most promising opportunity" for growth and transformation.

“Quiet quitting employees are your organization’s low-hanging fruit for productivity gains. They are ready to be inspired and motivated — if they are coached in the right way. A few changes to how they are managed could turn them into productive team members,” the report said,” the report said.

Based on the survey findings, 85% of the responses provided by individuals identified as engaging in quiet quitting pertained to areas such as engagement or culture, pay and benefits, and work-life balance or wellbeing.

“True engagement means your people are psychologically present to do their work. They have what they need; and they have a supportive manager and a supportive team. They know why their work matters,” said Gallup.