Tales from the Frontline: What Does "Quiet Quitting" Mean for the Veterinary Profession?
Over the past year, a topic that has come up across social media and workplaces everywhere has been “quiet quitting”. Quiet quitting is looked at as when an team member does the bare minimum, leaves at the moment their shift ends and once they walk out the clinic door, they leave work behind. There has been commentary that quiet quitting means someone is burned out and that their engagement in the workplace is stagnant at best. Managers everywhere consider an employee who doesn’t live, breathe and give 100% , 24/7 as disengaged and someone who already has one foot out the door. In some cases this is true. However, what if we framed this a little bit differently?
Vet med has broken, beaten and abused those who give their all. At times we think that to truly do our best we have to work long hours, push harder, do more and spend our hours in the clinic running ourselves ragged. This hasn’t been sustainable. We see more and more people leaving the field and suffering from burn out, depression and compassion fatigue. Dedicating our bodies, minds and everything to a job has been detrimental to many of us.
People in the profession are learning to set boundaries. They have witnessed and experienced burn out from giving too much to our profession and not enough to ourselves. Quiet quitting is a way to place blame on a team member. They aren’t committed, invested, or trying hard enough to be a rock star. We aren’t all rock stars. We must look at balance. If I give %100 at my job everyday, what is left for myself and family at the end of the day?
If a team member comes in, does what they need to do while preserving maybe 20 percent for their own lives, they are managing the energy needed to provide longevity. Some team members are working to get a pay-check. We all are working for a pay-check. We also have to remember that we cannot all be rock stars. Yes, you want a team of strong people. But every profession consists of those who are just trying to get through the day, pay their bills and enjoy their time off. There is nothing wrong with that. We have to look at our employees as someone who may not always give their everything, but as someone who is giving the most, they can during their time in our hospitals.
In a field that has been built on passion, it may seem foreign not to give everything or expect those around us to do the same. As vet med has evolved so have the people in it. If giving just enough means that they have a long career in helping pets and people, we must realize that we have to shift with the people in it. Utilize the skills and recognize that it’s ok not to give your all and your everything. By embracing that we are creating healthier and happier team members. They aren’t lazy. They are just giving what they can to enjoy the world outside the hospital.
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