Quiet Quitting Preceded Another Insidious Workplace Issue That's Unfolding Right Now, Survey Reveals Many employees and executives disagree on return-to-office mandates — and it's symptomatic of an even larger problem.

Quiet quitting, the TikTok-minted term for employees' under-the-radar withdrawal amid increasing burnout that made headlines last year, may no longer be the buzzword of the week, but workers are just as unhappy — if not more so.

Employee engagement in the U.S. dropped off for a second consecutive year, and half of workers admit they aren't engaged and are exerting minimal effort on the job, according to a recent Gallup poll reported by The Wall Street Journal — and return-to-office mandates are a frequent battleground between those workers and their bosses.

Related: Employers Should Fear The Truth Behind Quiet Quitting. Here's Why.

As pandemic workplace policies shift, many executives want employees back in the office, citing concerns about productivity and engagement. But Jim Harter, chief workplace scientist at Gallup and lead author on the report, said an employee's direct relationship with their boss is more important than where they work.

Backlash around in-office requirements has been swift in many cases: Farmers Group employees who were told they could work from home before being ordered back to the office by a new CEO aired their grievances on an internal social-media platform and called to unionize. Likewise, Amazon staff demonstrated against a new hybrid policy.

The mounting discontent around in-office mandates is hardly surprising: Most Americans have embraced the idea of remote work, with 64% saying it makes it easier to achieve work-life balance, according to the Pew Research Center.

Related: How to Gauge and Monitor Employee Engagement | BIZ Experiences

The Gallup poll also revealed that more than half of workers are actively or passively job-seeking; increased pay is a primary factor, along with improved well-being and opportunities for growth and development.