This year has been the year of workplace buzzwords – and you've probably heard it all by now.
Slang terms like "quiet quitting," "bare minimum Mondays," "bedmin" and "career cushioning" have become common to use both in and out of the workplace, but do you actually know what they really mean?
Whether you're gossiping about your "lazy girl job" with your work besties via Google Meets or chatting about the recent company "quittagion" with Colin from Accounting IRL by the water cooler, getting clued up on what your colleagues are actually talking about is pretty important.
After all, you don't want to accidentally miss the signs of a quiet promotion or even a quiet firing because you don't understand the office jargon. Yikes.
The great resignation
The "great resignation" was the first post-COVID workplace term to hit the big time.
Coined by Texas A&M University associate professor Anthony Klotz in 2021, it was used to describe the surge of Americans who were quitting their jobs in the year-or-so after the COVID-19 pandemic began, citing reasons like safety concerns, the need to take care of family, and the realization that life was just too short to be unhappy at work.
Since then, every publication, HR department and LinkedIn boss has talked about it – and a quick Google search now yields a whopping 435 billion results on the topic.
But it didn't stop there. The phrase sparked a cascade of other workplace buzzwords, many of which are included on this list.
Quiet quitting
@zaidleppelin On quiet quitting #workreform
It was Zaid Khan – a New York City-based tech worker – who first got us all talking about the second-loudest workplace term of the decade: "quiet quitting."
In 2022, Khan shared a TikTok describing how "quiet quitting" is not outright quitting your job, but "quitting the idea of going above and beyond at work."
In the since-viral clip, he describes it as a rejection of "the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life" and a focus on fulfilling the core requirements of a job only, and setting clear boundaries to prevent burnout at work.
The term has since prompted a whole host of similar terms, including quiet hiring, quiet firing, loud quitting and more.
Loud quitting
Not quite the opposite of "quiet quitting," "loud quitting" involves more than actually just leaving your job.
According to Forbes, this refers to when an employee leaves their job in a dramatic fashion – posting inflammatory content about work on social media, refusing to work notice, refusing to complete unfinished tasks and, essentially, slamming the door on their way out.
It's a bold move to "loud quit," so you'll want to make sure your references are air tight before you try this one.
Quiet hiring
Step aside, quiet quitting, "quiet hiring" has entered the room.
This recent workplace term describes when a company tries to complete necessary tasks by expanding the duties and responsibilities of existing employees rather than hiring new ones.
Emily Rose McRae, senior director of research at Gartner, popularized the term in a report where she suggested "savvy HR leaders" would "[provide] stretch and upskilling opportunities for existing employees while meeting evolving organizational needs."
McRae later told Forbes that the term can refer to bringing on short-term contractors, giving current employees responsibilities beyond their current job description, or moving them to other positions internally.
A "quiet promotion," on the other hand, is when an employee is given more responsibilities or duties without a raise or a promotion.
Quiet firing
If you hadn't worked it out yet, "quiet firing" is essentially when a manager doesn't actually fire somebody, but instead tries to convince the employee to quit themselves by making their work life miserable. Yikes.
Career cushioning
what is career cushioning? #linkedin #careertok
"Career cushioning" is when you sit comfortably and quietly on your current job cushion, while also starting the process of looking for a new job and preparing to move on.
Acting your wage
A bit like "quiet quitting," "acting your wage" is a term used to describe doing only what you're paid to do and nothing more.
It's not a new term, although the concept of not going above and beyond at work when it won't be compensated is being talked about more and more.
Quittagion
Everyone around you quitting at work? That's often known as "quittagion," which is when leaving actually becomes contagious in a workplace and everybody around you starts doing it. Eek!
Bedmin
Anyone who has worked from home will be familiar with "bedmin" – which is essentially when you do admin from your bed. Whether you're sick, working late or simply have no choice but to use your bed as your desk, "bedmin" is relatable as heck.
Bare minimum Mondays
@itsmarisajo The story behind Bare Minimum Monday 🫶 #selfemployed #burnoutrecovery #selfemployedlife #worklifewellbeing #bareminimummondays #bareminimummonday
Another buzzy slogan popularized on TikTok, "bare minimum Mondays" is exactly what it says on the tin – doing the bare minimum at work on a Monday.
The concept is that employees do as little work as possible (while still doing enough to avoid getting fired) on Mondays to prevent getting burnt out during the rest of the week.
Common "BMM" practices include cancelling any non-essential meetings, taking a break from reading emails, having an extra-long lunch, working from home in your pajamas all day, and starting the day with a self care routine of some kind.
Rage applying
Ever had a bad day at work and then applied to 10 jobs within an hour to make yourself feel better? Well, you're not the only one.
This is known as "rage applying," and it's when you apply to as many new jobs as possible as a reaction to frustration at work.
Sick guilt
If you need to take a day off work because you're unwell but you're tempted to power through because you feel uneasy about it – girl, you've got yourself a case of "sick guilt."
According to WorkLife, this term refers to feelings of remorse, guilt, shame or even regret at not being able to execute daily tasks at work when you're sick.
It's a common issue too, apparently. One study found that a whopping 89% of people work while sick because they're under pressure from managers, or feel guilty for letting down their colleagues.
Lazy girl jobs
@gabrielle_judge Career advice for women who don’t know what remote job to apply to. You can bay your bills at not feel tired at the end of the day. Women are here to collect those pay checks and move on from the work day. We have so much more fun stuff happeneing in our 5-9 that is way more important than a boss that you hate. #corporatejobs #jobsearchhacks #remoteworking #antihustleculture #9to5
The viral term "lazy girl job" is the latest buzz word to represent the revolution against a work-crazed culture, Forbes suggests.
It started in a viral TikTok video, when 26-year-old Gabrielle Judge branded "lazy girl jobs" as when you can make $60,000-$80,000 in a remote and flexible position that's non-technical, high-paying and that doesn't have high performance targets.
Among her examples were "customer service manager" and "marketing associate."
The now-viral video has attracted millions of views and hundreds of comments, with many agreeing that they have a "lazy girl job."
In a recent interview, Judge told Narcity that the concept is about working smarter, not harder, and about finding ways to avoid burnout at work.
"It's really just about tackling unnecessary work," she said. "How can we work smarter, not harder, to be a good employee but also maintain work-life balance? Because that's super important to me."
So, enjoy your "acting your wage" at your "lazy girl job" — which undoubtedly involves some "bedmin" — and hopefully by "quiet quitting" you can avoid burnout, which could lead to "loud quitting," or even a company-wide "quittagion."
Of course, if you find yourself being "quiety promoted," you couldn't be blamed for "rage applying" elsewhere — just make sure you've got a "career cushion" before you make any bold moves. Got it?
From Bare Minimum Mondays To Quiet Quitting – 13 Workplace Terms You Need To Know In 2023
Source: News Article Viral
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