Ashley Rivera Mercado
Ashley Rivera Mercado is an Orlando-based contributor for Luz. Originally born in Puerto Rico, she loves everything having to do with food, photography, and live music.
In The Community
"Quiet quitting" took the internet and workplaces by storm earlier this year, but what does it mean exactly? And was it as negative as it sounded?
In a country where capitalism has gone almost entirely rogue, many might struggle with the concept of not putting their best foot forward at work. Americans have been so conditioned to work without rest, low wages, and decent work benefits that the idea of not centering work in their lives may seem oddly foreign. Enter “quiet quitting,” the workplace trend many professionals are now embracing in lieu of letting work control their entire lives.
“Quiet quitting” is based on the concept of not necessarily actually quitting your job, but instead toning down the importance of it in your life by simply not working as hard while clocked in. Many people explain that they used to burn themselves out in favor of producing their very best results at work, and often went unpaid for their extra efforts. Now many of those same workers are shifting instead to a more relaxed approach of practicing the bare minimum required to get their jobs done.
They are bidding adieu to late nights, answering emails outside of work hours, and stressing about work. Their quiet quitting has allowed them to reclaim their lives outside of work, bringing them more balance overall.
The term itself is new, but as with every new workforce term (“The Great Resignation” is another popular one) comes the question of where it came from and what inspired it. “Quiet quitting” is making it acceptable for workers to essentially unclench the tight hold their jobs have on them, but it’s also just putting a cute name to the concept of enforcing boundaries with employers who take advantage of their workers.
\u201cThey tried so hard with putting a name to Quiet Quitting \ud83e\udd23. The very concept of people setting boundaries and not putting up with wage theft anymore is SO terrifying to the American employer that they had to put a marketing team behind it.\u201d— Jon Kung (@Jon Kung) 1661165577
While it’s important (and often within legal requirements) to set healthy work boundaries, it’s noteworthy that many of these workplace trends are coming as a result of abusive employer practices. Many workers have encountered bosses looking to continuously expand their duties without any kind of compensation or salary increase, and inflexibility and a lack of upward mobility that has inspired the “great resignation” that has now been rebranded as “the great re-shuffle.” As quiet quitting explains, instead of quitting their jobs, many are simply deprioritizing their jobs entirely.
The term is cute, but what “quiet quitting” signifies is that employers have always benefitted from exploiting their employees as much as they can, and this new approach is sure to hit them where it hurts. With star performers lowering their output, the cultural shift of placing less importance on your job and more on yourself is sure to be felt. So while “quiet quitting” defines that approach, what it really means without the negative connotation mass media is ascribing to it is that it’s possible to have a great career with fair compensation, and anything less doesn’t deserve your best.
Whatever the path that workers continue to take, one thing’s for sure - this generation of workers isn’t here to play.
It doesn’t seem like too long ago that the disappearance and murder of Army specialist Vanessa Guillén sent shock waves through the Latino community.
Guillén was just 20 years old when a fellow serviceman murdered her after she threatened to report him for sexually harrassing her. If it weren’t for the efforts of Guillén’s own family, it’s very likely that her murder would have gone unsolved and unprosecuted.
Through constant advocacy and unyielding commitment to get to the bottom of their daughter’s disappearance, Guilen’s death was eventually discovered to be a murder and not a simple disappearance that the Army made it out to be. Honoring our servicewomen continues to be of the utmost importance, and Guillén’s family has now filed a $35 million lawsuit against the Army alleging wrongful death and assault.
The decision to file the lawsuit comes after a new federal ruling came out that allows service members to file claims against the military, something previously thought to be under the Feres Doctrine. The Doctrine explains that servicemembers cannot sue over injuries and damages sustained while in active service. The new ruling, however, explains that “alleged sexual assault [could] not conceivably serve any military purpose” and therefore has opened the doors for victims to come forward.
The ruling comes as a result of retired Col. Kathryn Spletstoser’s sexual assault accusations against four-star general John E. Hyten, who is currently the vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
It isn’t a new revelation that the life of female servicewomen and veterans is wracked with challenges, and despite that, it’s because of the persistent advocacy that women are now seeing new options for victims to come forward and seek financial retribution for their suffering.
It remains to be seen how additional cases and advocacy continue to change the culture of the military for women, but at least for the Guillén family, their daughter’s untimely death won’t ever be without a higher purpose.
Growing up, Selena Gomez made her way into our hearts through our TV screens. Now she’s back, claiming a top spot on our TikTok feeds. Her ultra-relatable content makes us feel so seen that we had to do a roundup of some of her finest moments.
Check them out, and we dare you not to be like, "yeah girl, you right."
- Showing us real bodies—and refusing to “suck that shit in.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@selenagomez/video/7127664635766983978
We love a queen who knows the value of natural bodies.
- Giving us three places to stay.
https://www.tiktok.com/@selenagomez/video/7109644455212272938
Good advice in general to mind your own business and out of someone’s way.
- Hanging out with another favorite of ours, Camila Cabello.
https://www.tiktok.com/@selenagomez/video/7109644455212272938
Two Latina icons hanging out? We’re here for it.
- Life’s got hands.
https://www.tiktok.com/@selenagomez/video/7080138837552565550
It's comforting knowing life is kicking everyone’s ass lately.
- Life is just as confusing to her as it is to us, apparently.
https://www.tiktok.com/@selenagomez/video/7036410567795494190
Everything does happen for a reason, but the actual reason seems to elude us all.
- Kendall Jenner Monetizing Mexican Culture with New Tequila Brand ›
- Bad Bunny is Making History for Latinos Through His Music ›
