The Silent Struggle Behind “Quiet Quitting”

New Data Shows Presenteeism and Languishing Are Costing Australian Workplaces

You’ve likely heard the term quiet quitting—employees doing the bare minimum, disconnected from their work, emotionally flat, and no longer striving to grow or contribute beyond the basics. But what if we told you this isn’t laziness or disengagement… it’s something deeper?

New research conducted by mental health researchers at Be Well Co reveals that languishing—a state of low wellbeing—is quietly spreading across Australian workplaces. And it’s not showing up as sick days or absenteeism. It’s showing up as presenteeism.

In other words, your people are still turning up—but they’re not really there.

What the Data Tells Us

Be Well Co surveyed hundreds of Australians across industries to understand what it feels like to languish at work, and what impact it has on teams, organisations and individuals. Here’s what we found:

• Presenteeism is far more common than absenteeism. Languishing employees are less productive, less collaborative, and less creative—but they still show up to work.
• Languishing doesn’t stop at the office door. A staggering 91% of those who languished at work also reported languishing at home. Wellbeing isn’t just a “personal” or “professional” issue. It’s both.
• Support is lacking. 76% of participants said they didn’t feel supported during times of languishing—by leaders, peers, or their workplace more broadly.
• It’s not all personal. More than 50% of participants pointed to leadership and job design as key causes of languishing—factors that organisations can control.
• The emotional experience is real. Words like “flat,” “stuck,” “no energy,” “blah,” and “existing, not living” came up again and again in participant stories.

Download the complete survey findings here.

What Is Languishing—And Why Does It Matter?

Languishing is a state that differs from burnout or mental health conditions such as depression. It’s often described as feeling “blah,” stuck, emotionally flat or demotivated. People may continue to function and don’t have to feel stressed or under pressure, but joy, connection and meaning have dropped away. Many participants described it as “going through the motions” or “existing, not living.”

And unlike mental illness, it doesn’t always require clinical care. But left unchecked, it wears down morale, performance, and connection—fast.

Presenteeism: The Productivity Drain No One Sees

While absenteeism is easy to measure, presenteeism is the real productivity killer. When employees come to work without energy, joy or focus, performance suffers. It’s harder to spot—but it’s everywhere.

The Productivity Commission has already put a dollar value on the cost of presenteeism, a staggering $7 billion annually. Our research goes further: it shows how it feels. When someone’s languishing, they’re mentally disengaged, emotionally disconnected, and quietly hurting.

What Can Employers Do?

Here’s the good news: languishing is not permanent. And there are proven, evidence-based ways to address it.

At Be Well Co, we don’t just research this—we offer solutions.

We’ve worked with hundreds of workplaces to build wellbeing into the fabric of everyday life through:

• The Be Well Plan: a 5-week program designed to help individuals take ownership of their wellbeing and shift out of languishing.
• Workplace Wellbeing Workshops: tailored sessions on the psychological drivers of wellbeing, designed to empower teams and leaders. Including our latest ‘Languishing In The Workplace’ workshop.
• Micro Learning: Built for wellbeing professionals and team leaders who are already stretched navigating the noise, overwhelming research and pressure to get it right. Be Well Know-How is our latest micro learning platform designed to take the guesswork out of embedding evidence-based wellbeing into practice.

When organisations treat languishing as an early warning sign—not a personal failure—they can prevent burnout, build better cultures, and support people to do their best work.

Final Thought: Languishing Is a “Do” Problem

If you want to address quiet quitting, presenteeism, and low motivation, start by understanding what your people are going through—and then give them the tools to do something about it.

Be Well Co is here to help. Our evidence-backed programs don’t just make people feel better—they help them function better.

Want to learn more about how your organisation can address languishing and support real wellbeing?
Book a free consult with our team, visit our languishing at work page, or explore our programs here.