Last updated 10 November 2026
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In short
It is often a sign of burnout, unfair workload, little recognition or not feeling safe to speak up, rather than a poor attitude. Find out what is behind it before treating it as a performance problem.
When people feel that extra effort goes unnoticed, or that raising concerns will change nothing, many protect themselves by doing only what the job requires.
What to do
- Ask before you judge In one-to-ones, ask about energy, workload and what would make work better.
- Look at the workload Check whether the same people are always taking on extra work.
- Recognise effort, not only results, and say specifically what someone did well.
- Have career conversations Ask what people want to learn or do next, and what the organisation can offer.
- Involve the team in fixing it Ask what they would change, act on one or two points and report back.
Watch out for
- Treating it as a discipline issue usually makes people withdraw further.
- If concerns raised in the past were ignored, staff will need to see action before they trust the process again (see Our staff only mention workload when they resign. How do we get them to raise it earlier?).
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WorkshopBIG Impact ChallengeSee dates and fees on Wayfinder →ToolPRISMOpen on Wayfinder →
Kaleidoscope Labs manages the Network and provides some of these courses and workshops for a fee.
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ArticleQuiet Quitting in Singapore: What does it signal?Related questionMany of our staff say they are burnt out. Is resilience training enough?Related questionOur staff only mention workload when they resign. How do we get them to raise it earlier?
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