Fresh terms to capture the evolving dynamics of post-pandemic work culture.
Career Cushioning. Quiet Firing. Productivity Paranoia. These trendy buzzwords emerging from TikTok reflect the disillusionment many feel about the daily 9-to-5 grind in a post-Covid world. Philosophical musings about work aren’t new; destabilizing global events have consistently prompted us to reevaluate personal fulfillment. These contemporary phrases are simply updated labels for established workplace patterns. For instance, Quiet Quitting is merely a modern term for being job-oriented.
As the quest for catchy terminology continues, here are some new work culture buzzwords to add to your vocabulary:
Silent Hoarding: Taking home office supplies and snacks from the pantry.
Breezy Breakdown: Having a quick 5-minute cry while sitting on the loo.
Unspoken Lingering: Waiting outside the office toilet for the right moment after a colleague goes number two.
Cryptic Ranting: Subtweeting or posting veiled Instagram Stories about your job, office, colleagues, or bosses.
Overt Ranting: Going all out on social media to vent about your job, office, colleagues, or bosses (Close Friends list optional, depending on the level of rage).
Easy Exiting: Switching to “Ordinary Resident” (ORD) mode after submitting your resignation letter.
Sneaky Snarking: DMing your work besties to complain about a colleague while a meeting is ongoing, possibly creating a private channel for this purpose.
Careless Whispering: Trying to Sneaky Snark but getting caught (e.g., sending a shady message while sharing your screen).
Solid Snaking: Memorizing parts of the office that can be seen by CCTV cameras.
Passive Expense: Choosing not to submit a claims invoice and covering the cost of something purchased for the office.
Active Expense: Submitting claims for every single item bought for the office, even if it’s just a pen.
Exit Strategising: Planning to hold a late-afternoon meeting outside the office to go home straight afterward.
Tactical Technical: Pretending an electronic device is malfunctioning to avoid participating in a work meeting.
Crafty Mathing: When your boss overloads you with numbers, percentages, and statistics to confuse you into accepting something.
Moral Policing: Announcing your efforts to clean up desks, the pantry, dirty mugs, etc.
Quiet Farting: Manipulating your muscles to pass gas discreetly.
These buzzwords not only capture the quirks of modern work life but also highlight the collective experience of navigating the complexities of contemporary employment.
