It looks like quiet quitting is back. One Walmart worker has had enough of giving it his all after seeing co-workers get away with phoning it in.
In a viral TikTok, he announces that he’s giving up on trying to be the hardest worker at his job after seeing his colleagues get paid the same wage for doing less work.
@linthakidd They be way happier too 😂 why not #walmartemployee #walmartassociate #workjokes #jusjokes #humor #fyp #viral ♬ original sound
LinThaKidd (@linthakidd) notes in his bio that his many videos concerning Walmart “are jokes and made off the clock,” but he does make a compelling case for not being the hardest worker at the job.
His video about “giving up” was posted four days ago and has already racked up 1.4 million views and counting.
In the short clip, the Walmart worker acts out a scene, paying the roles of both a supervisor and a worker. The supervisor walks in to find the worker lounging around while casually sipping a Pepsi on the clock. The audio that plays over the footage is taken from the classic Spongebob Squarepants episode, “Not Normal.”
“What’s the meaning of this?” the supervisor character asks as he lip synchs to the audio. “I took your advice. From now on, I’m normal,” comes the reply.
The text overlay reads, “When you give up on tryna be the hardest worker bc everyone else is getting paid the same for doing less,” and the video’s caption also points out, “They be way happier too. Why not?”
Users resonated with the Walmart worker’s sentiment.
One noted in the comments, “It’s a scary stage cuz once you realize what you can get away with you can’t go back to working hard and caring lol.”
Several others pointed out that there seem to be few rewards for going above and beyond in most entry-level jobs.
“The only thing that comes with working hard is you also get stuck doing everyone’s work,” one noted.
“That’s what I’m doin they like you don’t seem like you look for things to do I’m like I’m not doin extra if I don’t have to,” another added.
One viewer pointed out that with little financial incentive there is little reason for the Walmart worker to work harder. “What’s crazy is ppl don’t dislike hard work, they dislike not being rewarded for it. If there was pay increases for skill we’d all b at 100%.”
“Facts, used to work so hard at the gym I work at until I realized nobody else is trying. Now I just hide in the supply closet for half my shift,” another user wrote.
Until employers can figure out how to incentivize their employees to work harder, it seems likely that low-paying jobs like those at Walmart will continue to be done at a leisurely pace.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Lin via TikTok comment for further information.
