When “quiet quitting” began to trend in 2022, a parallel movement came about attempting to reframe the conversation. While it had similar methods and goals, it bore a different name: “acting your wage.”
The idea is simple: do only your job’s requirements and nothing more. If an employer attempts to push you beyond your set responsibilities, you can let yourself be fired—or simply leave without notice.
The thinking behind this movement is that employees are becoming more aware of their worth as workers—when they feel an employer is undervaluing that work, they will find a way to fight against it. This is evidenced by the recent increase in unionization efforts across the country as well as the numerous quitting videos that populate TikTok.
One such video was recently posted by TikTok user Tyler (@itsmetp_). In a video with over 478,000 views as of Sunday, she shares the various reasons she’s quit jobs.
@itsmetp_ Replying to @Helen Winn ♬ original sound – user42069
“I quit a job on my second day because they wanted me to come in at 5am,” she says. “I quit working at Subway after 3 days because they wanted me to pay for my own uniform. I quit a job in Ghirardelli Square because there was no parking. I was a housekeeper and I quit because it was too much cleaning.”
Tyler’s stories echo some of the other quitting tales found on TikTok. One user said she quit a job on her first day because they wouldn’t give her breaks. Another quit during their first shift after noticing how miserable other workers looked. An additional user claimed they’ve quit during their first shift four times.
In the comments section of Tyler’s video, many users supported her decision.
“This generation knows their worth and the other gens don’t like that!” a commenter said.
“These jobs are full of people that think they can take advantage of you your whole life,” a second user added.
Others simply told their own quitting stories.
“I quit a job because I have natural hair and did natural hairstyles and the owner didn’t like seeing my hair,” a user claimed.
“I quit JCPENNEY cause they told me work was more important than school,” another recounted. “I was 16.”
“I quit a dishwashing job within 30 minutes cause they wanted me to wash dishes but not use ‘too much water,’” offered a third.
“I quit jobs because I simply didn’t feel like working anymore,” revealed a further TikToker.
The Daily Dot reached out to Tyler via Instagram direct message.
