‘Quiet firing’ explained – and warning signs to watch out for

“Quiet quitting” by staff putting in the bare minimum to keep their jobs has been in the spotlight recently, but new research suggests “quiet firing” is also becoming a common trend.

The less well-recognised phenomenon of quiet firing is essentially being mistreated or given the “cold shoulder” by your employer, according to Rolling Stone analyst Jacob Mathison. Whether staff are accused of “underperforming or being a bad cultural fit”, wrote Alex Christian for the BBC, employers are finding a variety of reasons to “nudge workers out the door”.

Yet a survey by law firm Irwin Mitchell of more than 2,400 people found that 90% were unaware of quiet firing and the warning signs. This lack of awareness “poses serious concerns”, said the company, which reported that quiet firing was “most noticeable amongst women”. And 25% of all respondents in Greater London said they have “experienced someone making their life uncomfortable, encouraging them to leave” at work.

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How to recognise quiet firing

The reasons why quiet firing happens can be “complex”, wrote Christian for the BBC. But employers “often don’t want to expose themselves to risk or conflict” by directly trying to sack someone and instead “follow the path of least resistance”.

Along with “withdrawing support” from an employee, other warning signs include:

• Unexpected changes – three in ten of the people surveyed by Irwin Mitchell said they had “experienced unexpected role or responsibility changes”. Being set “unreasonable performance targets”, or “important job responsibilities” being reassigned or handed to other staff, falls into this category of quiet firing, said the Harvard Business Review.
• Being underworked or overworked – staff who are consistently handed “dull, meaningless, and awful tasks” may be quiet firing targets, wrote Tim Reitsma, co-founder of online publication People Managing People, for Sky News. Conversely, a boss who “often reshuffles your priorities, adds additional tasks, cancels, or schedules unnecessary meetings” may be “overburdening you on purpose”, Reitsma added.
• Lack of input from bosses – ignoring requests for or repeatedly cancelling one-to-one meetings can be “a manager’s way of saying they’re not willing to invest time with you”, work burnout expert Cara de Lange told Metro. A company that values an employee will “invest more time” and ensure they are “adequately supported”, she said.
• Achievements overlooked– a boss who “doesn’t explain clearly why your co-workers are getting pay rises while you're not” is also a “red flag”, said Reitsma on Sky News. Others are never being considered for promotion or having bosses who “dangle the possibility” of a step up “without it ever coming to fruition”.

What rights do workers have?

Quiet firing “carries key risks for employers”, said legal firm Farrer & Co. The employer may face a “potential constructive unfair dismissal claim”, or a claim for “harassment or other discrimination” if the behaviour relates to a “protected characteristic”. If the employee experiences mental health issues as a result of “a hostile environment” at work, they could also bring a personal injury claim.

However, workers who think they are being “quiet fired” may find it difficult to “meet the criteria for constructive dismissal”, wrote Eve Livingston, author of Make Bosses Pay: Why We Need Unions, for i-D. And that is something “bosses are all too aware of”.

Many “employers make a calculation that the likelihood of a successful claim is so low that breaking the law is still worth it”, according to Livingston.

Whether or not targeted staff take the legal route, keeping records of employer behaviour can be useful, said Metro’s lifestyle editor Ellen Scott. Keep a work diary or journal to make a “note of exactly what’s happening” and “point to these specific examples when you’re ready to talk to your manager”, Scott advised. If necessary, push for a one-to-one meeting, she added, because “you have a right to be able to communicate your concerns”.

“Ultimately”, wrote Christian for the BBC, “quiet firing is the avoidance of difficult emotions.” Tackling the issue “requires better-resourced managers, greater HR support and the acceptance that workplace confrontation is sometimes best”.