Quiet quitting in the pharmacy

Quiet quitting is all the rage on TikTok and now main stream media. It is sparking conversations and debate across multiple industries and has the business world buzzing. But what does it really mean—and does it impact pharmacy? Quiet quitting has no single definition, but it generally means doing your job and only your job up to the minimum requirements. It is not actually quitting your job, just not going above and beyond. This trend appears to be a backlash from the burnout and “badge culture” of being overworked espoused by the baby boomers. Pharmacy is currently facing a labour shortage and employers are being squeezed from both sides, with inflation rising thus increasing the costs of running a business, and wages increasing in order to keep up with rising competition for quality employees. Where does quiet quitting fit into this scenario? When I take a look at the overall response of Gen Z to the burnout of their more senior generations, the quiet quitting phenomenon is missing some key pieces. By deciding to do less but maintain status quo in their jobs, it robs the quiet quitter of ever finding purpose or meaning or even perhaps a bit of joy in their jobs. We already know that pharmacists and technicians are unhappy, but quiet quitting moves us further away from engaging in the reasons why, and striving towards positive changes to improve personal satisfaction in the practice of our profession. Read: Feeling the big squeeze: Inflation is pinching pharmacists everywhere—and it hurts Quiet quitting encourages a lack of engagement between employees and managers. The “giving up” of expressing any issues and a lack of creativity in finding solutions. It is promoting a passive-aggressive stance towards the workplace in which we don’t bring up concerns in a healthy and positive way, but instead express our displeasure by simply disconnecting. This has huge implications in dispensary culture where we often work very closely with each other and our work tasks overlap. Rather than fostering a cooperative culture in the dispensary, the environment becomes toxic for all team members. This is what quiet quitting can look like in our workplaces: “That customer is difficult, I’m just going to put my head down and hope the other pharmacist will take in that prescription.” “Why am I working so hard? He’s over there being so slow.” “I don’t understand this. I’ll just leave it for the next shift.” “I wonder if Pharmacy X is a better place to work?” “I’m just going to use the washroom (but really I’m going to check my phone).” Read: Majority of pharmacists concerned about inflation and labour issues As a manager I firmly espouse that work should be left at work and the importance of non-work time be not only respected, but intentionally managed as a value. This entails things like not answering work-related emails on off time, making sure breaks are taken, granting time off with generosity, etc. These things must be assumed and practiced. But as a manager there is so much more that needs to be done to ensure that when staff are present, they are finding meaning in their work, that they have a say in how they work and feel valued and listened to. All of this fosters engaged employees who will be at the top of their productivity while they are present in the work place because they value the team and the organization. Retaining quality team members and a healthy work environment means paying attention to and actively working on a positive team culture. Team culture may seem elusive because much of it is anchored in unspoken behaviors, mindsets, and social patterns, but it is one of the most powerful forces in the business world. According to a Harvard study of over 200 companies, a strong culture increases an employer's net income 765% over 10 years. Intentionally managing your business culture can release tremendous amounts of energy toward a shared purpose, allow employees to find meaning in their work and fosters a business’s capacity to thrive. Without this intentional effort by leaders and mangers, we are left with a culture that forms on its own and quiet quitting is the unfortunate result. References and Resources Edmondson, Amy C. Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy. Jossey-Bass, 2012. Brown, Brené, Dare to lead: Brave work. Tough conversations. Whole hearts. New York : Random House, 2018. Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek The Culture Code: The secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle The Culture Factor Harvard Business Review. HBR.org Leader’s Eat Last: Why some teams pull together and others don’t. by Simon Sinek. Penguin 2014 Corporate Culture and Performance by James Heskett and Dr. John Kotter. Harvard Business School. Deloitte Development LLC (2014). Culture of Purpose – Building Business Confidence; Driving Growth: 2014 Core Beliefs & Culture Survey, 2, 10-11. LRN Corporation (2012). The HOW Report – New Metrics for a New Reality: Rethinking the Source of Resiliency, Innovation, and Growth, 3, 19-20,` 28. O’Reilly C., & Pfeffer J. (2000). Hidden power. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Gen Z is getting work wrong. https://fortune.com/2022/08/26/gen-z-quiet-quitting-misplaced-burnout-reaction-arianna-huffington/amp/

Quiet quitting in the pharmacy

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