Employees in Indian companies appear to be seeking a quiet exit. According to the State of the Global Workplace 2026 report released by Gallup, which surveyed the mood and the well-being of 141,444 employees across 160 countries, employee engagement has declined for the second consecutive year globally. South Asia recorded the steepest drop with India contributing significantly to the slide. A comparison with data from 15 years ago illustrates the sharp drop. Although the percentage of active disengaged employees — disgruntled workers — in India has declined, the 'not engaged' category, classified as ‘quiet quitters’, stands at 59.02% among the sample size of 3,095 respondents. The phenomenon of ‘quiet quitting’ implies that employees are not resigning but doing the bare minimum required while disengaging emotionally from their work roles. It is a symptom of fatigue and resistance — a silent protest against workplaces that demand more than they offer. The drivers of this phenomenon are varied but interconnected. Poor leadership and weak communication structures erode employees’ trust. The report found that there has been an alarming dip in engagement levels among workplace managers — from 39% in 2022-24 to 30% in 2023-25. This means that Indian workplaces are lacking in effective leadership that can keep the team morale high. Burnout — aggravated by long hours, blurred work-life boundaries and job insecurity — drains motivation. South Asia has the lowest number of thriving employees, whereas in India, there has been a 6% increase in anger among employees and a staggering 15% rise in sadness in the past 15 years. A lack of recognition or meaningful growth compounds the problem. The implications are serious: reduced productivity, lower innovation, and fragile organisational cultures. This leads to a paradox. India’s unemployment rate hovers around 5%; yet disengagement is rising among the employed. A combination of structural impediments and work culture impediments — from unemployment and poor job quality to low-paying, unfulfilling roles — offers a likely explanation for this.
Addressing quiet quitting requires structural changes. Organisations must invest in better leadership, be transparent in communication and invest in mental health support. Meaningful work, fair wages and opportunities for growth are not perks but necessities. Four-day workweek, experimented in parts of Europe, or Artificial Intelligence integration cannot provide a blanket solution. Labour welfare policies must take into account India’s vast informal sector, productivity disparities and persistent economic pressures.
