The rise of #QuitTok on TikTok marks a significant shift in how individuals perceive and navigate the realm of employment. Employees from various industries are sharing candid videos of their resignations, garnering millions of views and sparking conversations about workplace dynamics and personal empowerment.
However, is live quitting really the solution? Will it really lead to a successful career as a content creator or could these actions come back to bite you in future? Let’s explore the pros and cons of QuitTok, including its impact on mental health awareness, workplace culture, and the delicate balance between personal expression and professional reputation.
What is #QuitTok?
QuitTok is a rising trend on TikTok where workers are sharing videos of their resignations. The videos are receiving millions of views, and opening up conversations about the workplace and how to resign.
They take a variety of different forms. Sometimes the actual Zoom conversations are recorded, others share the moment they press send on their letter of resignation, while one clip from a McDonald’s showed the aftermath of all the employees quitting mid-shift.
@zoey.isbackWell that happened today and it was so funny 😭😂♬ Nobody – Mitski
Most Gen Z users of TikTok have grown up as digital natives, used to sharing every milestone online. What’s more, they’re a generation who are prioritising mental health, cultural fit, shared values, and work-life balance. With this in mind, this is a generation taking control of their own happiness and part of that is about sharing their experiences online.
What are the pros of live quitting?
A lot of these videos are flooded with supportive comments. If your employer has impacted your mental health, then finding a community online can give you that boost you need, especially if you find people with shared experiences.
It’s never worth staying in a job you hate. A toxic work environment, no work-life balance, a bad boss, or generally feeling miserable at work can have a huge impact on your out-of-work relationships as well as your health.
Employers aren’t always likely to change without being pushed to do so. Could calling out bad behaviour or a confusing company culture be the only way of forcing the working world to evolve?
Gabrielle Judge aka the “Anti Work Girlboss” quit her corporate role after the scope of her role evolved without her consent, something she refers to as “quiet hiring”. Originally hired as a Customer Success Manager her role moved more towards sales, something she hadn’t expected when she took the role. When she realised during a performance review that things were going to get worse instead of better, she decided it was time to hand in her notice.
@gabrielle_judge Quit My Lazy Girl Job with Me! It’s been a year since I have quit my corporate career and I never posted this meeting so I thought I would now to celebrate! I just wrote a memoir on my upbringing and what created all of the anti work philosophy I have. #corporate #lazygirljob #careeradvice #quittok ♬ original sound – Anti Work Girlboss
For employees who are feeling stuck in a rut, quitting with no job to go to can feel scary. But actually, quitting your job could push you into looking for your dream role or moving into self-employment. For Gabrielle Judge who was already building a personal brand as a content creator, it was just the push she needed.
UK creator Kyra Bruce felt safe but complacent in a role she’d had for two and a half years. She wasn’t being challenged, wasn’t enjoying her job and didn’t see any future career progression where she was. She doesn’t criticise her employer but instead highlights her last day at work positively. For her, it was the right move, at the right time.
@kyrabrucek Quitting your job can always be scary but… you can’t be complacent as you don’t know what other opportunities can be for you✨🎉 #iquit #fyp #vloguk #work #lastday #blacktiktokcommunity #blacktiktoks #vlog #voiceover ♬ Countless – Official Sound Studio
For an ex-bus driver, “YayItsLee”, he smartly avoids the reasons why he quit but highlights how he’s feeling and that his life and health had been negatively affected. In this instance, live quitting is less about a bad employer, but more about opening up conversations around mental health and wellbeing.
@yayitsleeuk No more bus driving for me. I need to look after my health and life because no one else will…. #busdriver #ukdriver #buslife #bus #professionaldriver #driverlife ♬ I’m Good (Blue) – Cupido
Mental Health UK has found that men are less likely to talk about their experiences of mental health and less likely to report this too. This leads to higher rates of suicide and substance abuse in men. So when creators open up these conversations, they’re also showing their peers that it’s okay to not be okay.
What are the cons of live quitting?
Employers will often run background checks on jobseekers that they’re planning to hire, and that can include a deep dive into your social media accounts. If your #QuitTok video goes viral, it’s even easier for them to find you, and if they don’t like the tone of the video it could be the difference between a shiny new job and missing out.
What’s more, more and more jobseekers are going back to companies they left. In 2021, 5% of all new hires were former employees who had returned. If you’ve embarrassed your employer by sharing your resignation journey, returning is out of the question.
Sure, it might feel like in the moment returning is not an option, but company structures can change and bad bosses can leave. Is it really worth losing this career option, especially if you’re early in your career journey?
On the flip side, although live quitting can force employers to reflect on their poor practices, sometimes they don’t.
Brittany Pietsch in California got fired by two HR reps she’d never even met and challenged them when they couldn’t respond to why she was losing her job. The company CEO defended these actions, but loads of fellow employees came out of the woodwork with the same experience. In this instance, it’s clear that nothing is going to change.
@screenshothq Replying to @Kirby Holroyd This is Brittany Pietsch who got fired by two HR reps she hadn’t met before without any specific reason whilst filming herself. Her video is doing the rounds on social media with people left wondering if her company is liable for wrongful termination 👀 #layoff #fired #cloudflare #tiktoknews #livequitting #fired #brittanypietsch #hr #corperatetiktok #ceo #humanresources ♬ Lost Lifes – Steve Ralph
If live quitting is something you want to do, then consider how “live” it really needs to be. Give yourself time to decompress and wait until you’re feeling calmer before you upload that video. You might even want to wait until you’re happily employed elsewhere. You’ll notice that the “Anti Work Girlboss” waited a whole 12 months.
It’s also worth remembering that although a lot of people who we’ve featured in this article have moved into content creation roles, simply live quitting is no guarantee of a successful career in content creation. Wanting to make it big on TikTok should never be your only reason for live quitting.
As QuitTok continues to go viral and provoke discussions, only time will tell if this is a trend that’s here to stay. While it empowers individuals to share their stories and seek solidarity, we must always be mindful of how we navigate professional transitions in the public eye. Ultimately, we must remain vigilant in preserving the integrity of our personal and professional identities.
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