'Dream Jobs Are DEAD': Quiet Quitting is the TikTok Trend Encouraging Employees to Take It Easy at Work Young professionals are learning to say 'no' to more and 'yes' to less as they face burnout.

By Jordan Hart

This story originally appeared on Business Insider

Image credit: Rod/TikTok via BI

As Gen-Z enters the corporate world and millennials begin to experience burnout, never going above and beyond on the job is the latest trend young professionals are following.

The trend of "quiet quitting" on TikTok is taking off as millennials encourage the upcoming generation of employees to avoid overextending themselves at work.

Josh Bittinger, who works at a management consulting company, explained to the Wall Street Journal that the idea of "quiet quitting" is less about being lazy on the job and more about avoiding burnout at work.

The whole idea of taking it easier at work is about learning to stop saying "yes" to everything, and to say "no" when you need time for yourself, according to Bittinger.

A 2022 global workplace report from Gallup determined that only 21% of employees were engaged at work, and most didn't find their work meaningful following the pandemic.

That statistic is apparent in content posted by TikTokers under the app's corporate hashtag. Thousands of users praise viral videos discouraging anyone from going the extra mile on the job.

@loewhaley #corporate #millennial #worklife #wfh ♬ original sound - Karen Chen

The Guardian speculates that the online trend could owe its origins to Chinese social media where the hashtag #TangPing, which means "lying flat" and refers to the country's typically long work hours, was censored by the government, according to the report.

One user brought up a quote circulating at her workplace: "'Hard work is rewarded…with more hard work,'" the comment read.

Another TikToker encouraged fellow millennials to update their resumés as they entered the "corporate villain era" of putting their mental health first.

"The idea of dream jobs are DEAD," one commenter wrote. "I only dream about leisure time and having enough money for coffee every morning."

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Starting a Business

These Brothers Started a Business to Improve an Everyday Task. They Made Their First Products in the Garage — Now They've Raised Over $100 Million.

Coulter and Trent Lewis had an early research breakthrough that helped them solve for the right problem.

Business News

Here Are the 10 Jobs AI Is Most Likely to Automate, According to a Microsoft Study

These careers are most likely to be affected by generative AI, based on data from 200,000 conversations with Microsoft's Copilot chatbot.

Business News

Starbucks Built a New 'Luxury' Office Near Its CEO's Newport Beach, California Home

The 4,624-square-foot office was disclosed as part of Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol's compensation package before he started the role last fall.

Leadership

How Business Leaders Can Uphold the Ideals America Was Founded On

As America's 250th anniversary approaches, business leaders are called to help reclaim the values that once defined the nation.

Business News

Mars Says 94% of Its Products Sold in the U.S. are Now Made There, Too

The candy-maker has created 9,000 jobs over the last five years with its investments, according to a new report.