# The drop in employee engagement isn't just about burnout Workers are losing their identity connection with their jobs. - **Source:** [Fast Company](https://www.fastcompany.com) - **Published:** 2026-07-24 - **Topic:** [People & Culture](https://brifing.si/c/people) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/5fffbf15-34ce-4b37-abbc-7445680e1442 ## On the surface, everything seems normal Employees are still attending meetings, doing their work, and everything appears to be fine. But beneath this activity, a growing number of workers have lost their connection to their jobs. This points to a problem different from traditional definitions of burnout. ## The disconnect of identity Employees' emotional and identity-based connections to their work are weakening. They no longer see their jobs as a means of self-expression. This disconnection has become more pronounced, especially during the remote work era. The blurring of boundaries between work and personal life is one of the factors triggering this situation. ## The phenomenon of quiet quitting Employees aren't leaving their jobs, but they're mentally checked out. This 'quiet quitting' phenomenon is causing significant productivity losses for companies. Research shows that employees are not only physically but also emotionally absent from work. ## Shortcomings in management Leaders struggle to recognize this loss of internal motivation among employees. Traditional performance metrics fall short in detecting such issues. Companies need new approaches to rebuild employees' connection to their work. ## Proposed solutions Companies need to undergo cultural transformations to strengthen employees' sense of meaning in their work. Offering more autonomy, meaningful feedback, and personal development opportunities can play a critical role in overcoming this problem. Additionally, developing policies that support individual identities is also important. ## Significance and impacts This issue isn't just about individual employee unhappiness but also threatens companies' long-term success. Declining employee engagement weakens innovation and competitiveness. Companies that fail to address this problem risk losing talented employees. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.fastcompany.com/91577182/theres-a-new-workforce-crisis-and-it-isnt-burnout — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._