A new report has found that workers in Britain are becoming less engaged with their jobs and are increasingly unwilling to put in extra effort beyond what their contracts require — a phenomenon often described as "quiet quitting." The study links this drop in workplace engagement to potential effects on productivity and the wider economy.
What researchers and commentators describe as "quiet quitting" generally refers to employees limiting their output to formal job duties rather than taking on additional unpaid tasks. The report says this shift in behaviour reflects a wider change in how some workers approach their roles, with fewer people prepared to go above and beyond in ways that are not directly rewarded.
The authors of the report caution that sustained reductions in engagement and discretionary effort can translate into weaker productivity for firms and, if widespread, a drag on economic growth. Businesses that depend on staff taking on informal responsibilities or producing beyond target levels could see output and service levels affected if the trend persists.
The findings come amid broader debates about labour market dynamics and the relationship between employers and employees. While the report highlights the scale of reduced engagement, it does not offer definitive attribution of causes or prescribe particular policy responses.
The report’s conclusions may prompt employers, trade bodies and policymakers to examine workplace practices, incentives and conditions to address falling engagement. How firms respond — through changes in pay, working arrangements or management practices — will shape whether the reported decline in discretionary effort has lasting consequences for the economy.