Why Government Employees Disengage and What to Do About It
Private sector employees aren’t the only ones who are quiet quitting. As government-wide buyouts, firings and policy changes alter the labor landscape, more civil servants are disengaging from their roles entirely. Several things can be done about it.
The Truth About Quiet Quitting in Civil Service
Quiet quitting is well within civil servants’ rights, as they are not at-will employees. However, doing the bare minimum of work could have considerable societal and career consequences.
What Is Quiet Quitting?
Contrary to popular belief, quiet quitting does not entail pretending to work. Some 25% people define the term as resigning without telling anyone. Another 19% believe it means to decline additional work without financial compensation. However, most believe it entails doing the bare minimum of work to avoid getting fired.
It is generally accepted that quiet quitters do the jobs they were hired for, and nothing more. They opt out of optional tasks, avoid volunteering their time and become less psychologically invested in their day-to-day duties.
Signs of Quiet Quitting
An employee quiet quits when they refuse to go above and beyond for duties not explicitly outlined in their contracts. They may start turning down projects, taking longer to respond to emails, clocking out right at 5 p.m. or barely meeting quotas. Depending on their typical workload, this change may be immediately noticeable.
Everyone has off days. Coming to work sick or sad shows resolve, even if it appears like apathy. How do you separate temporary periods of poor performance from quiet quitting? The trick is to look at the triad — their performance, professional relationships and presentation. If all three undergo a sudden, dramatic change for the worse, they may be quiet quitting.
Why Do Government Employees Disengage?
Generally, employees quiet quit to set boundaries, thereby alleviating burnout and improving their work-life balance. However, they may also stop going above and beyond to communicate dissatisfaction with management.
This problem isn’t exclusive to the public sector. Gallup estimates that quiet quitters account for 50% or more of the United States workforce. Its findings show just 32% of workers are engaged, with 18% actively disengaged. The ratio is the lowest in almost a decade. However, the rate is atypically high among civil servants.
Being a federal employee used to mean job security, solid benefits and a pension plan while proudly serving the American public. However, illegal firings, buyout offers, return-to-work mandates and heightened scrutiny created an environment of uncertainty.
Data gathered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) shows government-wide staffing levels are at a decade low. The federal government saw a net loss of 220,000 workers from January 2025 to January 2026. Without accounting for the spots new hires filled, it lost 300,000 employees in 2025. Virtually all executive branch agencies have been affected.
Why Should Agencies Combat Quiet Quitting?
Quiet quitting isn’t a personal failing. Staff members still show up to work on time and do the jobs they were hired for. Think of it this way — if you have to hire multiple people to compensate for one quiet quitter, that individual was doing the jobs of multiple people. By taking on tasks beyond their job’s scope, they risked burnout to keep their department running smoothly.
When used to establish a work-life balance, quiet quitting can benefit staff. However, the decision to do the bare minimum can adversely affect their employer and their agency’s mission. Statistics show that disengaged workers cause thousands of dollars in productivity losses annually. At scale, they cost the global economy an estimated $8.8 trillion each year.
Say a manager quiet quits. They still respond to emails and draft documents, but show up later than usual. Once others realize this, they start arriving minutes before the boss rather than at their usual start times. Due to one person’s apathy, an entire department slowly disengages.
Civil servants understand their work’s importance and respect their colleagues, so they regularly perform duties outside their job descriptions. However, if they feel undervalued, micromanaged or stressed, they tend to pull back. With virtually all federal agencies being affected by firings and buyouts, you can’t compensate by hiring more people. You must combat quiet quitting.
Contrary to popular belief, quiet quitting does not entail pretending to work.
Proactive Strategies to Prevent Quiet Quitting
With civil servants quiet quitting at an exceptionally high rate, it is up to employers to address the root causes of disengagement.
Use Automation Thoughtfully to Lighten Workers’ Workloads
Tedious, low-impact tasks — like submitting a bulleted list of each week’s accomplishments, as the OPM temporarily required — contribute to burnout and low morale. One of the most effective ways to lighten workers’ workloads today is with the help of artificial intelligence. Automation frees them up for high-impact work that they find more engaging.
However, keep in mind that simply deploying an automation tool without a clear strategy is often worse than doing nothing at all — technology that is poorly rolled out can create more confusion and frustration that leads to even poorer engagement. Unfortunately, this form of “innovation” — asking employees to use these tools without proper training or a clear understanding of what you’re trying to help them accomplish — is all too common as AI adoption soars. For instance, one survey found that while around 50% of senior leaders had deployed AI or planned to do so soon, fewer than 25% had target KPIs surrounding its use.
To be effective, technology must be implemented with a clear plan, dedicated resources, and employee input to ensure it genuinely reduces their burden rather than adding to it. Develop a strategic plan to ensure success.
Establish Support Networks
For many, working conditions have become untenable. The American Psychological Association attributes the stress to sudden mass layoffs, massive funding cuts and conflicting management directives. One New York-based clinical psychologist counseling federal employees recommends making space for them to express emotions without repercussions.
Reward and Promote Workers
If a project has a big impact, commend the contributors. When workers pull all-nighters to meet a strict deadline, reward them. If employees consistently go above and beyond, promote them. Once workers see that dedication and hard work are rewarded, they will be more inclined to engage.
Allow Flexible Work Arrangements
Quiet firing involves pressuring employees to quit by creating a poor working environment. Employers often accomplish this by implementing return-to-office mandates or assigning new, tedious tasks. Almost 90% of those who quiet fire report that it reduces morale. Experts agree, stating that pushing people to quit can damage team spirit, productivity and trust.
You can achieve the opposite by creating a flexible working environment. Location, schedule and leave flexibility contribute to job satisfaction significantly. Changing start times, working remotely and taking time off should be fast and accessible processes.
Keeping Employees Engaged and Enthusiastic
To combat quiet quitting, you must address its root causes. Job security and satisfaction take priority because people are less likely to be apathetic if they feel their work is meaningful and valuable. You may not be able to fix systemic issues, but you can make your workplace more welcoming, flexible and supportive.
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