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Quiet quitting, thanks to viral posts on social media, has become a term very familiar in workplaces worldwide.

It describes the phenomenon of employees who no longer go above and beyond by doing only what is expected in effort to maintain jobs that may no longer interest or inspire them.

This disengagement from work has grown exponentially since the pandemic. In fact, the 2022 State of the Global Workplace report from Gallup shows only 21% of employees are engaged at work.

“We’ve come through such a crisis over the last couple of years. To some extent, I think we’re over it now, but it has forced people to make different decisions about work, especially if they were burnt out already,” says Frank Newman, CEO of Newman Human Resources Consulting, who will explore quiet quitting at a Cambridge Chamber of Commerce webinar Dec. 1 entitled Is Your Team Quietly Quitting?

He will not only touch on some of the top reasons why employees quietly quit as well as the warning signs but provide insight on how employers can alter their work environment so they can not only attract but, more importantly, retain employees.

“You want to make sure you create the best work environment as possible,” says Frank, acknowledging the existence of an “employees’ market” due to labour shortages.  “That really means taking a very critical look at your work environment. Do you know what people need? Is it benefits? Is it better management? This is the ideal time to do an employee survey or workplace assessment to provide you with some sort of tool you can use to get a fix in terms of what are you going to fix first.”

He says this process may not prove to be a comfortable experience for some workplaces, however, insists this information can go a long way in assisting an organization set benchmarks regarding branding, image or even compensation.

“There are so many changes happening right now and if you don’t understand where you’re going or where you’re at, it’s pretty hard to make any progress,” says Frank.

He also recommends employers conduct exit interviews, formally or informally, to get a sense of why an employee has decided to leave.

“Make sure you understand what people are feeling. Also, spend some time with your newest employees and ask them what attracted them to your organization.”

Frank says in the age of social media, it’s important to encourage people who leave to remain an ambassador for the organization adding that bad reviews tend to get more traction than good ones.

“Organizations need to think about that as they manage those who are quietly quitting and those who suddenly walk out the door,” he says. “I always encourage my clients to search various job boards to see what’s being said about them.”

Frank admits it’s a tough time to be a manager right now, noting that employees have become much more critical on how their companies are managed than they were in the past.

“People looking for work have so many options out there now, and if you’re a hiring manager, it’s putting more pressure on management to get work done with less resources,” he says, noting the difficulty this causes employees who are now required to pick up the slack due to staffing shortages.

However, Frank says he’s optimistic as the economy continues to readjust following the pandemic there will be less quiet quitting.

“As companies get smarter in managing their businesses and people, I think you’ll see less of that," he says.

Work Trends Facts:

• Burnout is a big risk in the workplace, especially amongst younger Gen Z professionals aged in their 20s, research shows. A survey of 30,000 workers by Microsoft showed 54% of Gen Z workers are considering quitting their job.
• In its 2021 Global Risks Report, the World Economic Forum ranks “youth disillusionment” as eighth of 10 immediate risks. Findings include deteriorating mental health since the start of the pandemic, leaving 80% of young people worldwide vulnerable to depression, anxiety, and disappointment.
• Workforce data from organizations including McKinsey & Company suggests 40% of the global workforce are looking to quit their jobs in the next three to six months.

Source: World Economic Forum website

Positive online reviews and endorsements can be very important for small to medium-sized businesses.

Unfortunately, unscrupulous competitors or those with an ulterior motive can sometimes try to use these tools to their advantage and sabotage these businesses by posting negative fake reviews.

The Competition Bureau Canada is an independent law enforcement agency that ensures that Canadian businesses and consumers prosper in a competition and innovative marketplace. And fake reviews and ensuring truth in advertising in our digital economy are on the Bureau’s radar.

“Generally, anyone who posts fake endorsements or reviews could be liable under the Competition Act,” says Josephine Palumbo, Deputy Commissioner, Deceptive Marketing Practices Directorate, Competition Bureau.

Enforcing the Competition Act is a key responsibility of the Competition Bureau, and the Act’s deceptive marketing provisions prohibit any business from making materially false or misleading claims to promote a product, service or business interest. A ‘claim’, which refers to any marketing material – such as any in-store ads, social media messages, promotional emails, and endorsements, among other things – is ‘material’ if the general impression it conveys leads someone to take a particular course of action, like buying or using a product or service. When determining if such a claim is false or misleading, the courts will consider the ‘general impression’ it conveys as well as its literal meaning.

The Bureau has previously pursued enforcement action related to fake reviews. In 2015, the Bureau concluded that Bell employees were encouraged to post positive reviews and ratings on the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store, without disclosing that they worked for Bell giving the impression they were independent and impartial consumers. The Bureau and Bell reached a consent agreement, putting an end to the practices, and sending a strong message that this kind of conduct is not tolerated.

And more recently, an investigation resulted in $5.8 million in penalties for FlightHub in 2021 after the Bureau determined the online flight-booking company made numerous false or misleading claims, even penning positive customer reviews to promote its services. Besides the penalties, as part of the settlement with the Bureau, FlightHub was required to remove any online reviews that were posted by or on behalf of the company but appeared to be from customers.

“Anyone who believes they have been misled by fake reviews or who has been approached with offers to post fake reviews, is encouraged to file a complaint with the Bureau using our online complaint form ,” says Ms Palumbo, adding the Bureau addressed the issue of fake reviews in a consumer alert in 2014 and in its Deceptive Marketing Practices Digest in 2015. Besides fake reviews, the Bureau recommends that SMEs contact them if they believe a competitor is engaged in price-fixing, bid-rigging or deceptive marketing. As well, they should be contacted if an SME believes a dominant business in the market is abusing its dominance to harm or discipline its competitors, or that a merger in their market would prove harmful to competition.

Besides fake reviews, the Bureau recommends that SMEs contact them if they believe a competitor is engaged in price-fixing, bid-rigging or deceptive marketing. As well, they should be contacted if an SME believes a dominant business in the market is abusing its dominance to harm or discipline its competitors, or that a merger in their market would prove harmful to competition.

“Enforcing Canada’s competition laws and advocating for increased competition in regulated sectors is good for all businesses,” says Ms Palumbo. “It promotes a level playing field where businesses have an equal opportunity to prosper based on their merits. Fair competition between businesses also drives them to innovate as they seek to attract consumers by offering better products and services than their competitors.”

The Bureau provides many resources to help SMEs comply with the law and avoid potentially devastating consequences of an investigation. These include guidance on establishing a Compliance Program.

In addition, the Bureau provides numerous tips and advice to SMEs to protect themselves from fraud.

To find out more,  please visit: https://bit.ly/3g9RBIH