“Sanctified Slack?”: How Religiosity Shapes the Link Between ‘Quiet Quitting’ and Psychological Distress

"Quiet quitting," defined as reducing effort to the minimum required at work, has emerged as a salient feature of post-pandemic labor culture and broader critiques of "workism." Yet, little is known about its implications for mental health or the role of religion in shaping these outcomes. Drawing on data from the 2023 Measuring Employment Sentiments and Social Inequality (MESSI) study (N = 1744), a representative sample of workers in the United States, we examine the association between quiet quitting and psychological distress, and test whether religiosity-beliefs in divine control and religious service attendance-moderates this relationship. Regression results suggest that two dimensions of quiet quitting-not putting in extra effort and an unwillingness to work harder-are both positively associated with psychological distress. However, beliefs in divine control consistently buffered the relationship between quiet quitting and distress. Weekly religious attendance also attenuates distress among those who score low on our extra effort measure, though not among those who are unwilling to work harder. These findings highlight religion as both a cognitive and social resource that shapes how workers interpret and experience disengagement. By integrating research on religion, work, and mental health, we advance knowledge in the contemporary quality of working life.