I remember a few years ago, hearing the term quiet quitting, where employees were quietly becoming detached from the workplace. The trend usually meant coming in, remaining quiet, and doing the bare basics of their job while chasing down their true passion. Maybe it still exists, but you don’t hear much about it anymore. I tend to find more people these days feeling “stuck” in a job they do not really like. But wait! A new trend has emerged, called quiet firing.
What is Quiet Firing?
Quiet firing refers to employers shifting the burden of termination to the employee, rather than just outright firing them. In this much slower method, obstacles are put in place in an effort to force the employee to quit on their own. Often, the method includes demoting employees, suddenly changing their schedules, removing responsibilities, or placing new, overwhelming responsibilities on their shoulders. The list goes on and on.
Personal Example I Have Witnessed
I have a dear friend who I have learned has experienced a similar scenario. In their case, they made a complaint of sexual harassment against their manager. They had a witness take part in the investigation that came as a result. Many, many months later, the manager accused of sexual harassment was removed and transferred to another location. In other words, the problem was simply moved to be a potential problem elsewhere.
At first, looked like things might be good, right? Well, when a new manager was brought in, the two who took part in the investigation noticed what appeared as shunning from the new manager. The employee that made the complaint was demoted due to full-time hour requirements for the position. It’s worth noting that the employee was only working another part-time job due to not being able to work with the manager she made the complaint about during the investigation. A couple of weeks later, both employees involved in the investigation started receiving calls from HR concerning alleged “complaints” against them.
I am not sure what the ultimate outcome of their situation will be, but I would advise them to not give up and quit. If a company wants you gone because you made a legitimate complaint against them, I say force the company to make the move and document everything along the way.
Will the Quiet Firing Trend End Eventually?
That’s not an easy question to speculate on. While the quiet quitting trend faded rather quickly, I feel that in these current times, Quiet Firing might stick around for awhile. More and more companies are struggling and the private equity firms are gobbling them up using leveraged debt. These leveraged debt companies, at least as it appears to me, don’t seem to give a damn about their employees. Only the dollar numbers seem important at the end of the day. Just my two cents.