Dev RoychowdhuryTwo of the biggest performance crises of the past decade.
Both invisible. Both common. Both frequently confused.
Quiet quitting. Quiet burnout.
Here is what they actually are – and why high performers are the last to recognise either.
Quiet quitting is NOT laziness.
It is a form of psychological withdrawal from work whilst remaining employed.
Characterised by: reduced engagement, minimum effort, avoidance of extra responsibility, and organisational indifference.
Still showing up. No longer fully in.
Quiet burnout is not the same thing.
Burnout research identifies 3 dimensions: exhaustion, depersonalisation, & reduced sense of accomplishment.
Quiet burnout = the depersonalisation spreading quietly. Distance from your work. Loss of meaning. Flatness where drive used to be.
Here is the relationship between them:
→ Quiet burnout often DRIVES quiet quitting
Research found job burnout had a significant positive effect on quiet quitting intention.
Treat the behaviour without the condition underneath it and nothing changes.
A meta-analysis of 170 studies and 239K+ professionals found:
→ Burnout nearly quadrupled job dissatisfaction – in people still at work
→ Burnout doubled serious performance errors – in people still showing up
High performers are most vulnerable to both.
Why? Because their discipline, drive, and identity fused with achievement all mask the signals.
They override discomfort. That is what they have always done.
But this time, the cost compounds quietly.
I have written a full piece on both – what they actually are, how they interact, and what to do.
Includes a 7-question self-check you can use today.
