The Majority of Hungarians Turn to Quiet Quitting

Nearly 800 Hungarian employees were surveyed by Luca Frankó (ELTE Faculty of Education and Psychology) and Ajna Erdélyi (Budapest Corvinus University, showed on the picture) using an online questionnaire. Their research, published in Magyar Pszichológiai Szemle (Hungarian Psychological Review), revealed that 56.5% of respondents could be classified as quiet quitters. This high percentage highlights the urgent need to address the issue domestically, especially since quiet quitting was found to negatively correlate with well-being, suggesting its potentially harmful impact on mental health. While the sample was not representative, the findings align with Gallup’s 2022 report, which estimated that 50% of the U.S. workforce is affected by quiet quitting. 

Gen Z is even more impacted 

The study also found that Generation Z workers are particularly impacted: 63% of young participants in the survey were identified as quiet quitters. The authors attribute this to the younger generation’s greater emphasis on boundary-setting, their limited maneuverability in the labor market, and their lower perceived levels of support. They also point out that this generation began their careers during a period of health, economic, societal, and ecological crises, potentially leading to disillusionment with current systems. 

The authors emphasize that the duration of quiet quitting heavily depends on how organizations respond to the condition of affected employees. Appropriate interventions can restore well-being and encourage workers to remain committed to their organizations. However, the rise of quiet quitting might also signal an impending paradigm shift in the labor market. 

A key goal of the research was to adapt the English-language Quiet Quitting Scale for use in Hungarian, paving the way for further domestic studies on the phenomenon. 

Quiet quitting refers to a scenario where an employee remains with an organization but psychologically withdraws. Affected workers perform only the bare minimum, strictly adhering to official working hours, avoiding overtime, and declining additional responsibilities. The phenomenon is marked by feelings of demotivation, lack of initiative, emotional detachment from work, and an absence of work-related concerns. Quiet quitting does not necessarily equate to an intention to leave; instead, it often reflects a step back within the organization, frequently driven by a desire to stay while reducing emotional and professional engagement. 

One potential cause of quiet quitting could be inadequate internal communication, a topic recently highlighted in a Corvinus University study: More and more people are following the quiet quitting strategy, companies are not happy 

Source: Corvinus/elte.hu