SINGAPORE - When she found out that her peers were earning “a lot more money” than her despite both parties doing the same amount of work, Nancy (not her real name) opted for something many working adults in Singapore have done – she quiet quit.

The teacher in her late 20s told The Straits Times that she had given up on planning exciting lessons for her students.

“I will do only what’s needed. No more fun, no more taking hours to paste stickers and writing meaningful comments on students’ work. What is the point?” she said.

When questioned, her superior said it was because she was “just a diploma holder” while her peers were degree holders. Nancy is now taking night classes to earn a degree for the sake of a salary increase.

Quiet quitting refers to opting out of tasks beyond one’s assigned duties and becoming less psychologically invested in work.

According to a recent survey by human resources agency Randstad of 1,000 respondents aged between 18 and 67 in Singapore, 35 per cent have quiet quit their job. This is 4 percentage points higher than the global average.

Among those who indicated they had quiet quit, 41 per cent said they did so to improve work-life balance, while 38 per cent said it was because of low compensation and rising cost of living. About 33 per cent cited a lack of career growth opportunities.

Like Nancy, a Singaporean engineer with almost 15 years of experience also became disengaged at work after learning about the wage difference between his salary and those of his expatriate counterparts. The father of two, who wants to be known only as Danny, told ST he had been passionate about his job and had felt his compensation was fair until he found out that some of his colleagues were making a few thousand dollars more than he did.

It made him “absolutely furious” as he felt he was being “severely undercut”. He has been performing at a minimal level at work since then and doing less than his counterparts in the same position. 

Quiet quitting “does not happen overnight”, said Calming Hearts Counselling therapist Caroline Ho.

“It is usually a gradual process. Employers should be mindful of employees, understand their expectations and address them to prevent quiet quitting among them,” she said.

Apart from monetary issues, some cited a lack of passion for their quiet quitting.

An avid dancer in his mid-30s, for example, became an office worker after failing to forge a career in dancing. Confessing that he does only what is needed of him at work, he told ST he has used his annual leave to run dance workshops for youngsters privately.

A lack of personal time has also caused some employees to quiet quit.

Hazel, an air stewardess in her late 20s, started her job right after the Covid-19 travel restrictions were lifted as she believed it would give her the chance to see the world and enjoy a good salary.

However, she has not been able to spend time with her loved ones as freely as she used to before.

“Life as an air stewardess was difficult, and I often had to deal with passengers and colleagues who were rude and uncaring,” she said. As she had signed a three-year bond, Hazel is unable to quit her job, but she no longer goes the extra mile to serve passengers and takes her time to assist them.

According to Counseling Perspective psychotherapist and coach Grace Loh, cultivating relationships with like-minded and supportive colleagues can enhance job satisfaction and create a sense of belonging. These, in turn, can dissuade one from quiet quitting.

Noting that humans are complex, founder and chief executive of ExecutiveCounselling.com Lisa Oake said the root cause of quiet quitting could even be an issue that is not totally related to work.

“If you are grappling with the urge to be a quiet quitter, be kind to yourself,” she said.

“Everyone has a unique gift to offer the world but the numbness that accompanies quiet quitting will eventually dampen their creative energy and prevent their true talents from shining through.”

Unfortunately, that may be the case for Nancy, who is certain that she will not be reverting to feeling good about teaching. “Even if my salary increases, I will not be making extra effort. I have lost all will and passion to do what I used to do. My work was not appreciated, so why should a degree mean it will be any different?”