They show up to work.
They attend meetings.
They complete their work.
They respond to emails.
Nothing on the surface seems amiss.
Yet something has shifted.
They aren't generating any new ideas.
They don't question anything.
They no longer participate in anything voluntary.
And when the manager asks, "Is everything okay?"
The response is invariably:
"Everything is good."
This is where managers may overlook it.
Just because your disengaged employee isn't unhappy doesn't mean that they care about anything beyond what's expected from them in their role.
And this will become an even bigger issue in 2026.
According to the most recent workplace survey by Gallup, only 23% of workers in India were found to be engaged at work in 2025, and 59% were described as “not engaged.”
Not everyone from that 59% is unhappy, difficult, or looking for other employment.
Sometimes, it merely indicates that they’ve mentally checked out.
They do what’s required of them.
Nothing more.
The question stops being “how can we make this better” and becomes “just finish what I need to do.”
That might sound like a small change.
For a business, it isn’t.
As the employee stops caring, they’re there, but their enthusiasm, drive, and participation disappear.
But what causes an employee to get into such a situation?
It's easy to blame an employee.
But it’s usually something much closer to the place where they work.
Miscommunication.
Lack of trust.
No room for development.
No recognition.
Uncertainty about what's expected.
Work that has become meaningless.
Or just a manager who doesn't have the time to manage.
The 2026 study conducted by Gallup mentions poor organizational culture and misaligned values as one of the factors related to the quiet quitting phenomena in India.
There is another problem managers should take into account as well.
Engagement levels of managers in India decreased from 39% in 2024 to 30% in 2025.
Sometimes the issue isn't just the disengagement of employees but lack of engagement of those who should engage them.
Even despite the introduction of artificial intelligence at workplaces, the mere introduction of technologies won't make people more engaged.
It doesn’t require yet another motivational email.
Or another activity on a Friday.
Nor does it involve asking employees to “get more engaged.”
First, ask better questions.
Do the employee know what is expected of them?
Do they know how their role fits into the overall picture?
Are they receiving feedback that helps them improve?
Do they see where their career can go from here?
Does their manager have enough time for them?
And, perhaps, the most basic question:
Is the employee appreciated in what they do?
As it seems, engagement isn’t normally fixed with a one-time effort.
Engagement can be fixed by making small changes to how people are managed, recognized, supported, and developed.
The most alarming sign may not be when an employee says:
“I am going to quit my job.”
Sometimes, it can be even less obvious.
An employee stops coming up with new ideas.
They stop asking questions.
They no longer challenge decisions.
They don’t care about the success of future projects anymore.
They come to work every day, but mentally, they’ve already left.
What do you think, what is the first sign of an employee losing motivation?
Cited research:
Gallup – Quiet Quitting Increasing in India (2026)
Gallup – Rebuilding the Workplace for India’s Future Report (2026)
Gallup – Employee Engagement Stagnates Despite the Spread of AI (2026)
Gallup – State of the Global Workplace 2026
