In the past three years, we have all become acquainted with a new parlance associated with the pandemic and its related outcomes. Phrases like abundance of caution, the great resignation, and quiet quitting are now ingrained in our minds and experiences. But when it comes to quiet quitting, the terminology that swept economic news stories in recent months, we are seeing some additional ripples impacting retail foot traffic.
For those who may have missed the latest buzz term in workforce news, “quiet quitting is the idea spreading virally on social media that millions of people are not going above and beyond at work and just meeting their job description” (Gallup). These employees are mostly younger and are passively disengaging from their jobs to do the bare minimum. It is likely a result of the pandemic strain and new freedoms presented with remote work/flexible schedules, Gallup says.
So what does that have to do with office space? When workers are quiet quitting, they are often physically disengaging as well, isolating themselves from other team members. That means they aren’t going into the office and therefore aren’t going out to lunch or stopping by the coffee shop across the street. The result? Lessened downtown retail traffic impacting retailers who rely on office workers for daytime business.
As companies are fiercely working to rebuild engagement, quiet quitting is an important phenomenon for employers to pay attention to as part of their overall strategy to strengthen culture in the workplace. At COR3, we believe in a strong workplace culture with a flexible working environment that caters to the needs and desires of our employees first. Everyone values each other’s strengths and professional input. Perhaps even more importantly, we trust our team, focusing more on quality control rather than micromanaging our team.