Quiet quitting among Gen Z and millennial employees: contributing factors and organisational mitigation strategies.

Introduction: Quiet quitting, whereby employees limit their effort to the minimum requirements of their job descriptions, represents an emerging form of voluntary disengagement that is particularly prevalent amongst Gen Z and Millennial employees. Despite growing global attention to this phenomenon, limited research addresses its contributing factors within the South African workplace context. Method: This study employed an interpretivist qualitative approach using purposive and snowball sampling to conduct semi-structured interviews with 12 South African Gen Z and Millennial employees across various professional sectors. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis framework. Results: Three key themes emerged: (1) quiet-quitting behaviours and attitudes, encompassing withdrawal, minimal effort performance, career transition preparation, generational work attitudes, and digital distraction; (2) workplace value misalignment, encompassing inadequate compensation and recognition, limited growth opportunities, changing generational priorities, and toxic work environments; and (3) organisational strategies to mitigate quiet quitting, encompassing workplace culture and voice, detection and intervention, growth and development opportunities, well-being and work-life balance, and recognition and reward systems. Discussion: The study contributes to theory by proposing a generational refinement of job embeddedness theory and introducing a motivational typology distinguishing protective and assertive orientations to quiet quitting. The findings suggest that, within this sample, quiet quitting amongst younger employees appears to be driven primarily by a perceived misalignment between employee values and organisational culture and practices, though the transferability of these patterns to other contexts requires further investigation. To address this, organisations could consider implementing strategies that foster inclusive cultures, provide development opportunities, and improve recognition systems. HR professionals and leaders may use these findings to implement targeted interventions to reduce disengagement and turnover risk amongst Gen Z and Millennial employees in South African workplaces.