'Quiet Quitters' Might Not Have the Upper Hand for Much Longer. Here's Why. A recession could redefine the "quiet quitting" movement.

"Quiet quitting," the term for employees only doing the bare minimum or "acting their wage," took the world by storm recently, giving rise to other variations like "quit hiring," "quiet firing" and more.

But all of those quiet quitters might not be safe for much longer. Labor experts say the employees who don't go above and beyond could be let go first if recession fears become reality, Insider reported.

Related: People Are Starting to Get Really Annoyed by 'Quiet Quitting'

And that potential recession looms large: Steve Hanke, professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, told CNBC that the probability of a recession is about 80% — or even higher.

What will happen to the quiet quitting movement at that point?

"Many of these phrases we're using, like the 'great resignation' and 'quiet quitting' will quickly transform into conversations about layoffs — and the crisis of how to keep your job," Erica Dhawan, executive coach and author of Digital Body Language, told Insider. "I think that a lot of those quiet quitters will be the first to be let go in a recession, or they will quickly normalize and realize the threat of losing their job."

But that doesn't mean employers are off the hook when it comes to keeping their employees happy — work-life balance should remain a priority if they want to retain top talent, per FlexJobs.

Related: Quiet Quitting Is Taking Over the Workforce. Here's How to Fix It.

For now, it seems that employees do still have some leverage. And even when the tables turn, some quiet quitters might be safe as long as their contributions align with their pay.

"The first group of people who will get laid off are the ones who based on metrics and productivity are effectively giving the least bang for the buck," Atlanta-based business advisor and executive coach Jay McDonald told Insider.