Work in general is under-theorised as a site of oppression in queer and intersectional studies, despite the power imbalances it manifests and its far-reaching effects on everyday lives. Anti-work theory is a useful conceptual tool for examining work critically. The purpose of this study is therefore to form a bridge between queer and anti-work politics and theory. Using a broad conception of work drawing on the Marxist and feminist concepts of social reproduction and emotional labour, this study explores anti-work politics situated in relation to the author (who is queer), in contrast to previous accounts which focus on a heteronormative division of labour. The text lays down a theoretical background bringing together elements of queer, anti-work and intersectional theory. With the lack of previous work on the topic, the study instead incorporates previous empirical research on queer work and delves into their problems, before returning to theoretical texts on the relation between queer and capitalism, and the politics of anti-work. This study is centred around the reports of nine queers in Berlin, Germany. It uses the ethnographic methods of semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to gain intersectional insights into the links people make between queerness and the drive to work, resisting work, and the future.

This study examines the relationships between anti-work orientation which questions and critiques the role of work in our lives, organizational dehumanization where the employee feels objectified by their employer and feels like just a tool, counterproductive work behavior which includes employee behavior which harms the work organization or other employees, and quiet quitting where employees do the bare minimum required by their employer. Due to the lack of previous research, we examined the effect of the level of conscientiousness as a control variable in our regression models. Data was gathered from adult respondents with work experience in a non-management position (n= 257). Results indicate that anti-work orientation and organizational dehumanization significantly predict quiet quitting, suggesting their potential to cause employee disengagement. In contrast, their effects on counterproductive work behavior were not significant, possibly due to a floor effect. Conscientiousness was a robust predictor of counterproductive work behavior and quiet quitting, indicating that conscientious employees engage in less deviant or disengagement behaviors. Exploratory analysis revealed a weak negative correlation between age and quiet quitting, and that Millennials show higher anti-work orientation than Generation X. These findings underscore the need for organizational strategies that promote more humanistic approaches, such as promoting supportive leadership and increasing employee autonomy in order to enhance employee engagement.