Quiet firing refers to the process of a company/manager pushing an employee out the door by creating a hostile environment at work. In other words, pushing them to hand in their resignation on their own accord - usually to avoid the legal and financial implications that come with formally letting an employee go.
In this blog, we share some of the key signs of quiet firing and how best to respond if it happens to you.
Signs of quiet firing
Want to know if you’re at risk of quiet firing? This could be a possibility if you notice your employer:
Changes your job responsibilities/assigns colleagues the more important tasks
Never mentions career progression
Increases workload so that it becomes unmanageable
Constantly cancels meetings (corporate ghosting)
Expresses unreasonable expectations
Doesn’t provide performance feedback
Fails to give you credit for your work
Gives constant excuses as to why (justified) pay rise isn’t feasible
This kind of treatment is extremely demoralising and would naturally make anyone want to pack their bags and look elsewhere for work.
However, this doesn’t have to be the case and there are ways you can approach the situation in an effective and professional manner.
How should I respond to quiet firing?
1. Keep a record of everything
Document everything as evidence if you believe you are genuinely being mistreated. For example, performance reviews, email exchanges and written feedback. It is also a good idea to keep a record of your achievements (e.g. tangible examples of hitting KPIs etc).
2. Communicate your concerns
Arrange a meeting with your supervisor and be honest about what’s been bothering you. No matter how upset you are, try to be pragmatic in your approach and use specific examples.
3. Be rational
Before you go in all guns blazing, make sure you’ve really thought about the situation you’re in. Are you being quietly fired? Or is your manager just having a bad week? Maybe you were late meeting a deadline so the feedback you got was justified? Obviously, if the negative treatment continues over a long period of time and for no apparent reason, then it’s time to take action.
Overall, your priority is your mental health so make sure you seek professional help if you’re struggling or reach out to a trusted friend or family member. Getting a second opinion is always wise in these types of situations and it will also alleviate a lot of stress by getting your concerns off your chest.
Here at Pillar, we are here to support all of our candidates throughout the recruitment journey and beyond.
To chat with a member of our team about upcoming career opportunities, give us a call on 0203 856 4048.
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