Workers Are Ghost Coasting, Slacking And Cyberloafing Instead Of Quitting

All the attention is directed at the people who are quitting their jobs. There is possibly a larger group of workers who are being ignored. These are the coasters, slackers and cyber loafers.

This largely overlooked cohort are the people who are not currently inclined to leave their jobs right now, don’t hate what they do for a living, but are not motivated or energized. When you are in the office it’s easier to spot them. They are the ones who are looking over their shoulder to see if anyone notices them scrolling through social media instead of doing their job. They show up to the office at the crack of 9:45 am, disappear for more than an hour and a half for lunch, can’t be found when needed and sneak out the door at around 4:35 pm.

When working remotely, it’s easier to coast. You go through the motions. The person will put in the bare minimum of effort to ensure that they don’t get called out by the boss. They’ll work a little, then scroll through social media, maybe watch a Netflix series, call some friends, take a nap and slow roll the day away.

These folks don’t want to be fired, however, they aren’t engaged and don’t see long-term potential for growth so there isn’t a burning need to put in a lot of effort. It’s a delicate balancing act of just working enough not to get busted. Some are also choosing to balance family activities, hobbies, food shopping and other non-work-related matters during the day.

CNBC reported that data suggests the pandemic has made coasting widespread. A recent survey of 11,000 US workers found 39% were doing it, and a January 2022 study by Gallup revealed that half of the employees reported they’re neither engaged nor disengaged at work.

To be fair, after two brutal long years, burnt-out employees feel they need a break. Studies have shown that during the pandemic employees have put in more hours during the day, worked at night and on weekends. This was done both out of fear of losing their job during the first frightening year of the pandemic, and others, stuck at home and trying to stay safe, had nothing else to do so they were highly productive.

It might be long-term helpful for employers to allow a little bit of slacking and cyberloafing. They may need some time to regain their mental health, strength and drive. The alternative isn’t good for the boss. If she fires a person, it will be hard to find a replacement in this hot job market. It may take a long time and the salary paid to the new employee would likely be significantly higher as rampant inflation is making people ask for more money. It’s one of those things in which the manager turns a blind eye to the matter and hopes the situation will work itself out.

Going on cruise control could also be happening if a person feels she’s unappreciated, not given a voice at the table and overlooked for promotions. In this instance, it would be productive for the coaster to bring up the matter with the supervisor.

Let the boss know that they feel overlooked and underutilized. Together, the employer and employee can job-craft a solution to make the situation better. The slacking can’t go on indefinitely. Either the manager will get ticked off or the cyber loafer will get bored and either move on to another job or step up their game.

According to the Gallup poll, only 33% of American workers are engaged in their jobs. More than 50% self-reported that they’re “just showing up,” and 17% describe themselves as “actively disengaged.” These workers lack a real close connection to their job. They go through the motions. It’s a less than nine-to-five attitude. They’ll likely talk badly about a manager behind their back, gossip, spread rumors and treat customers and clients rudely. This toxic attitude could infect others and become detrimental to the company.

This situation isn’t just for white-collar workers. As restaurants and retail businesses struggle to find workers, they’re loosening their standards. They’ll hire folks who they kind of know aren’t too interested in the job, but hope for the best. Then what happens is that a new hire may work for a few days and move on to the next restaurant without notice before they are let go due to a lack of skills. This is referred to as ‘ghosting coasting.’

NPR reported on this ghosting coasting trend saying, “So what it means is the employees come to work. And the restaurant industry in particular, it can be a tough place to work. It’s very demanding. And as individuals that haven’t necessarily worked in that industry before realizing that, they realize they may not want to work in that particular job for very long, so they coast along through the onboarding process and training process, if you will, for a few days. And then they just ghost the employer and don’t show up. And I’m hearing this from multiple contacts. Again, not just in the restaurant industry, but I hear it in manufacturing as well.”

This doesn’t imply that they are lazy. Workers say that they’re walking away from their jobs for valid reasons. These, largely service and customer-facing workers, are subjected to rude and insulting patrons, placed in the uncomfortable position of enforcing the new covid-related restrictions, low pay, poor training, bad bosses and concerns of catching the disease.

Being engaged at work is important for the success of the individual, business and customers. If a person loves what she does for a living, derives meaning and purpose in her daily responsibilities, she’ll do a great job. Her boss, peers, subordinates, and customers will appreciate her efforts and show their gratitude.

If you are happy and invested in the company, and know that you’re appreciated, people will notice. Customers and clients will sense that you care. Conversely, if you are dissatisfied and disgruntled, you’ll make everyone you interact with feel miserable.

Leadership needs to make sure that their people are fully engaged by inspiring their team members to bring their true selves to work and offering the tools, guidance and advice to help them succeed and fulfill their career goals and ambitions.