One corner of the internet guaranteed to give an honest perspective of how employees are currently feeling in their jobs is TikTok. The social platform continues to spawn workplace trends and influence how we understand and behave at work.
We’ve seen TikTok work trends like quiet quitting, career cushioning, and rage applying take the internet by storm and become widespread trends in their own right. So, what are the latest Tiktok work trends going viral that you need to know about?
Top 5 trending TikTok work trends
Coffee badging
The return to the office is upon us whether we like it or not, with more workplaces mandating minimum days in the office for their workers or even keeping tabs on who’s hitting in-person quotas. Frankly, this lack of flexibility doesn’t work for many and so people are coming up with creative ways around it.
Enter ‘coffee badging’ – where workers tap-in to the office with their security pass, grab a quick cup of coffee, then leave to work from home for the rest of the day. Ingenious, or high risk?
Pros
Free coffee and meet the office attendance requirement without actually spending time there.
Cons
While you might think this is a clever hack for meeting your mandated days in the office, there’s no getting past the fact coffee badging is really inefficient. If you work around the corner and don’t need to spend time or money on a commute, maybe this could work, but otherwise it’s a waste.
At worst, it could also be interpreted as flagrant disregard for a company’s rules and a breach of their trust. If you’re being asked to come into the office for more days than is feasible to you, it’s better to schedule a meeting with your manager to discuss this and come to a permanent transparent solution, rather than bending the rules in a blatant way that could likely get you into trouble.
@stephandden New workplace trend alert! Introducing… ‘coffee badging’ ☕️👔 #CoffeeBadging #CoffeeBadge #ReturnToWork #WFH #WorkFromHome #CareerTips #Career #JobTips #Job #WorkTips #Work #Corporate #WorkHumor #BossProblems #CorporateLife #PersonalFinance
Quiet vacationing
Have you heard of ‘hush trips’? ‘Quiet vacationing’ is the name given for when workers take time off for secret vacations without using their official PTO quota.
This doesn’t mean skipping work entirely, with quiet vacationers still working remotely to cover essential projects and meetings. But it does mean you can enjoy a vacation around these essential tasks.
Pros
Vacation anxiety is real. Many of us don’t get enough PTO, while for others it can be a nightmare to take because we worry our managers will turn down our requests, or that taking vacation could put us in the front of the firing line. With all the uncertainty in the jobs market amid major layoffs across the country, it might not feel like the easiest time to request an extended break.
With quiet vacationing, you can avoid that anxiety and skip the vacation guilt. Plus, continuing to cover key tasks from a vacation spot means you don’t need to burden colleagues with extra responsibilities but you can still get a break.
Cons
Check your company’s travel policy as you could be in breach and there could be very real reasons for that. If you’re using quiet vacationing as a method to travel while working remotely, you need to bear in mind that there may be visa or tax implications to navigate. We recommend checking out our digital nomad guide for things to consider.
In an ideal situation, it’s better to go through official channels to book time off. Taking a vacation as part of your official PTO should in theory give you a better chance to switch off and recover as you’ll be able to hand over every task that needs doing while you’re away to colleagues, leaving you to chill by the pool with a cocktail.
@capturethis__ Let the millenials vacation in peace – keep it down🤫 #quietvacationing #millenials #quietvacation #paidtimeoff #corporate #corporatemillennial #work #managersbelike #manager #leadership
Performance punishment
Do nice guys (and gals) always finish last? TikToker Jacqueline seems to think so.
In a viral video which has racked up over 8 million views and 900,000 likes, Jacqueline makes the argument that those who are a pleasure to work with never get promoted because the powers that be “will never allow an employee who is both good at doing the work and good at keeping a smile on their face while doing the work move up the ladder, because they know they can keep serving you sh-t on a platter and you’ll eat it with a smile.” TLDR, those at the top are happy to keep agreeable workers doing the grunt work for them for as long as possible. Brutal.
This seems to have struck a nerve, with the video taking off and the comment section coining this phenomenon ‘performance punishment’. But is there any truth to the trend?
Know your worth
While we can’t advocate for acting out at work, there is some truth to the fact that being agreeable doesn’t always yield fairness, particularly when it comes to pay. When job hunting, you definitely want to come across as a team player and easy to work with, but don’t let that put you off from negotiating a fair salary package.
As proponents of salary transparency, we’d much prefer it if every employer cited a salary range when promoting a job posting, but that’s still not the case.
While you still want to approach conversations about pay in a friendly manner, make sure to research your value in the market using a tool like ValueMyResume to make sure you secure a fair deal. You can even use the tool to check if the Gender Pay Gap could be affecting you.
@jacquelameo but if I take a week off everything falls apart? it ain’t adding up
QuitTok
The clue for this one’s in its name. QuitTok is where workers are taking to TikTok to livestream or share videos of their resignations, by ‘live quitting’. This could take the form of sharing videos showing them pressing send on a resignation email, or even recording Zoom conversations where they’re quitting. One thing’s for sure, this trend takes sharing your work life on social media to a whole new level.
Pros
It’s never worth staying in a toxic environment or a job you hate, so quitting can feel cathartic. What’s more, the rise of the #QuitTok means many creators who’ve shared their stories have seen floods of supportive messages and found a community of others who’ve been through similar experiences. While live quitting may seem extreme, being accountable to an online community could spur you into finding your dream role or taking the plunge with a career change. You’re taking back the power in the most public way possible.
Cons
Be very wary of burning bridges with your previous employer and network, as you never know when you might need them. You should be even more cautious about alienating future employers. A company is likely to do their homework before hiring you and stumbling across an internet rant about your old employer could well put them off or cause them to rescind an offer.
If you’re thinking of live quitting, consider your timing and what you disclose. You’ll notice that Gabrielle Judge waited a year before disclosing her resignation story and was careful with what she said. Give yourself to decompress and decide what you want before taking any action that could harm your future employability.
@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
#ActYourWage
Resent having to take on a bunch of extra projects and work crazy hours to get them over the line, with no sign of a pay rise any time soon? Maybe it’s time to #ActYourWage!
This TikTok trend is all about creating boundaries, and sticking to them. Being paid minimum wage? Say no to working beyond your allotted hours. Taking on extra tasks and burning out? Start saying no.
By acting your wage, you’re aiming to match your labour to your salary and keeping the fact that you’re ultimately being paid to do a job top of mind.
Pros
Creating firm boundaries is a great way to improve work life balance and reclaim time for yourself. The knock on benefits could be more time with family and friends, time for learning or hobbies, time to lead a healthier life, and improved overall wellbeing. If you’re burning out, this could be the reset you need.
Cons
Your boss is likely to notice any big change in your work ethic and could interpret any pull back as you checking out. What’s more, saying no to extra projects could limit your opportunities to learn and progress, while making you appear as less of a team player. Constant projects above your paygrade can be annoying, but taking on the odd extra task can be a useful way to advocate for a raise at appraisal time.
If acting your wage also means your colleagues needing to pick up the slack, you could find yourself rubbing people up the wrong way quickly. It might be better to check in with your manager if you’re feeling overwhelmed at work, rather than to simply start pulling back. However, if your company is consistently taking advantage of you with no intentions of promoting you, it’s probably time to start thinking about moving on.
@saraisthreads Dont forget to act your wage 🤗 #fyp #work #working #corporate #corporatelife #corporatetiktok #corporateamerica #corporatehumor #office #officelife #manager #managersbelike #career #quietquit #actyourwage #skit #funny #sketch #quietquitting #veronica #morale #companymorale #company #companies
So there we have it, 5 of the latest TikTok work trends explained!
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