One of the growing trends of the last few years is “quiet quitting.” Quiet quitting involves an employee doing the bare minimum at their job because they are possibly not paid enough or treated well. Quiet quitting may eventually lead to an employee leaving to pursue better employment.
Many employers do not take quiet quitting well. However, some employers will use their own tactics to “quiet fire” their employees. “Quiet firing” is the tactic of making a workplace hostile or toxic in the hopes that an employee may quit. An employer may quiet fire an employee to avoid discrimination laws or pay an employee unemployment or severance payments. Here are a few signs of quiet firing:
1. Your work has unexpectedly been reduced
Have you noticed that you have less work than you once had? Is this happening at an unusual time when your job typically has more work? Your employer may be giving you less work or passing your work to other employees to make you seem useless or unnecessary at your job.
2. You are removed from group conversations
Does your job require you to frequently talk with other employees or departments? Are you suddenly finding it hard to converse with others at your job? Or, have you been removed from email threads or meetings? This could be a tactic to isolate you so that you feel unwanted.
3. You are given poor performance reviews
Have you suddenly received an unexplainable poor performance review? Have you been placed on a performance improvement plan even though you have been told you are a hard worker? Your poor performance reviews may be a form of gaslighting so that you leave your job.
If you believe you are the target of quiet firing, you may need to reach out for legal guidance to best protect your career and your future.