Why are employees not interested in work even though there is a job and salary?

Being employed and working diligently are two different things. Many a times, employees continue their jobs, get paid every month and reach office on time, but their enthusiasm for work gradually starts to wane. They work according to their responsibilities, but avoid taking on additional responsibilities, overworking, or spending more time than necessary on office work. In the corporate world this condition is called leaving it alone.

According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2026 report, only 23% of employees in India were fully engaged in their work by 2025. At the same time, 59% of employees were in the category of not engaged, while 18% of employees were actively disengaged. This means that three out of every four employees are either less engaged or completely dissatisfied with work.

According to the report, the level of engagement among managers has also decreased. In the year 2024, 39% of managers were fully engaged in their work, but in 2025 this figure dropped to 30%. This situation is a concern for companies, as employee interest and engagement in work directly affects productivity and business performance.

What does quiet leave mean?

Quitting doesn’t mean quitting a job. In this, the employee continues to work for the company, but limits his work to fixed responsibilities and working hours. He avoids prioritizing office work by working overtime without extra money, taking on frequent extra work or affecting his personal life.

For example, an employee is responsible for preparing a fixed number of reports per day. He completes his work on time, but is unwilling to constantly report extra reports or work outside office hours when asked by his manager. Such an employee may be placed in the quiet leave category.

However, this does not mean that every such employee is irresponsible. Many times an employee performs his responsibilities well, but feels that he is not getting enough pay, respect or opportunities to advance in comparison to his hard work.

Why is employee morale decreasing?

1. Work pressure and lack of personal life balance- In many companies, employees are expected to do more work in a limited amount of time. Employees are mentally exhausted due to constant deadlines, targets and additional responsibilities. Many times office work reaches home. This disrupts the balance between personal life and work. Gradually, to conserve their energy, employees start limiting their work to fixed responsibilities.
2. Not getting paid according to hard work- When employees see that they are being asked to do more work, but their pay is not increasing accordingly, their enthusiasm starts to wane. Employees question their extra effort if salaries do not increase enough amid inflation and rising costs. They feel that doing more work is not getting them any real benefit.
3. Fewer opportunities for promotion and career growth- For any employee, the job is not limited to the monthly salary. He wants to advance in his career and take on new responsibilities. But employees can become disillusioned by not getting a promotion, not getting opportunities to learn new skills, or by continuing to do the same job for too long. When they see little chance of advancement in the future, their interest in work also starts to wane.
4. Poor management and lack of recognition- The role of the manager is very important in the work experience of the employees. If managers do not understand employees’ problems, do not listen to them, or do not praise them despite good performance, their engagement may decrease. Gallup’s India-based report also lists weak organizational culture, lack of trust in leadership and lack of recognition as key reasons for quiet quitting.

Managers are also getting disconnected from work

An important aspect of this problem is that not only the junior employees but also the managers stay away from their work. According to Gallup, the engagement of managers in India will decrease from 39% in 2024 to 30% in 2025. At the same time, this figure fell from 24% to 19% among general employees.

Managers explain work priorities to employees, provide feedback on their performance, and motivate the team to move forward. When a manager himself is not passionate about work, it can affect the entire team. According to Gallup, the manager’s role accounts for 70% of the variance in team engagement.

What will be the impact on companies and businesses?

The impact of a quiet leave is not limited to the employee. When a large number of employees do not take extra interest in work, the productivity of companies can be affected. The emergence of new ideas can be reduced, collaboration between teams can be reduced and the quality of work can also be affected.

Gallup estimates that low employee engagement in India is $351 billion a year, or about Rs. 32.7 lakh crore productivity loss is estimated. This is about 9% of India’s GDP.

Overall, it would not be appropriate to treat silent quitting as mere employee misconduct. It can also be a sign of the company environment, lack of trust between management and employees. Being employed and being emotionally attached to work are different things. The challenge before companies is not only to retain employees, but also to keep them motivated and committed to work.