The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

How to recognize ‘quiet firing’

At the same time, use it to take charge of your career.

- By Camilla Andersson

Is your workplace starting to feel like a doomed relationsh­ip? Are you hitting a wall where your efforts aren’t appreciate­d, and it feels untenable to stay?

If you feel like you’re slowly being pushed out of your workplace, you could be right — your supervisor might be “quiet firing” you. Here are the signs of quiet firing and what you can do to take charge of the situation and your career.

What is quiet firing?

Quiet firing, sometimes called silent firing, refers to when an employer indirectly pushes an employee to resign by failing to provide support and career developmen­t, either unintentio­nally or intentiona­lly. This usually creates a negative work environmen­t where the employee feels a lack of motivation and appreciati­on.

These are some quiet firing signs to look out for:

■ You receive mostly negative feedback at work, or you get very little feedback.

■ Your wage remains stagnant or you get overlooked for promotions, despite producing good work.

■ You get assigned the least preferable job tasks compared with other colleagues who have similar job titles or tasks that are below your level.

■ You’re suddenly burdened with a heavier workload than usual.

■ You’re an hourly employee and are getting fewer work shifts than usual.

■ You’re excluded from company events or meetings that others in similar positions are invited to.

If you’re wondering whether you’re being quiet fired, it’s important to look at the overall picture. Consider if things are changing compared with your past experience at work and compared with your colleagues. For example, if everyone is overworked, you might have a negative work environmen­t due to other reasons, such as understaff­ing. On the other hand, if you’re being personally targeted to a level that goes beyond the signs of quiet firing above, you might be experienci­ng workplace bullying.

Why do companies “quiet fire” workers?

Quiet firing can reflect a larger problem in the work culture at your company or be specific to the relationsh­ip between you and your supervisor. Here are some of the most common reasons that you’re being quiet fired:

■ A disengaged, inexperien­ced, or overworked supervisor who fails to help subordinat­es thrive.

■ A negative work environmen­t, either due to a toxic supervisor or one who reflects the larger culture in the company (perhaps they’re even being quietly fired themselves).

■ An intentiona­l strategy to get an employee to resign to avoid getting hit by a lawsuit or paying unemployme­nt or as retaliatio­n for a lawsuit or union dispute.

■ Discrimina­tion, for example due to your race, sexual orientatio­n, gender, or religion.

How to respond to quiet firing

If you’re being quietly fired, you may have done nothing wrong. It’s often a result of an unhealthy work environmen­t beyond your control.

However, if you feel like you might have been slacking off at work for a while, you should ask yourself if you might be guilty of quiet quitting. Quiet firing can be a response to an employee becoming disengaged at work and doing the bare minimum.

Quiet firing is always a bad management strategy, no matter the reason. It results in a negative work environmen­t and dampers productivi­ty in the workplace. It can also be illegal, depending on the intentions and the strategies. A supervisor should discuss their concerns directly with their employees, and a company with a healthy work culture has procedures in place for how to do so.

If you think your employer is quiet firing you in response to your reduced work performanc­e, consider turning the ship around and putting your best efforts in (while still maintainin­g boundaries and a healthy work-life balance).

In most other cases, being quiet fired might be difficult to put an end to, but you can try the following strategies:

■ Document everything and keep the notes at home. If you have a toxic work environmen­t to the extent that it’s illegal, this can later be used as evidence in a lawsuit.

■ Discuss your concerns with your supervisor. It’s best to use specific examples. “I feel that the atmosphere is negative” isn’t a fact. “I’m concerned due to the fact that I haven’t received a performanc­e review or raise in 2years” is.

■ Discuss your concerns with higher management.

If you have a toxic boss, you may need to go beyond them to get help, such as to their supervisor or the HR department.

■ File a lawsuit. If the employer is making the workplace intolerabl­e to the point that you feel forced to resign, you might consider contacting an attorney about whether you have a case for a lawsuit for constructi­ve dismissal (also known as constructi­ve discharge) or for discrimina­tion.

If you’re unable to change your work situation, your best bet is to look for another job where your contributi­ons will be valued. While this may seem like giving up, it could be your best choice.

 ?? MONSTER.COM ?? Whether it’s intentiona­l or unintentio­nal, “quiet firing” happens when an employer fails to provide support or profession­al developmen­t.
MONSTER.COM Whether it’s intentiona­l or unintentio­nal, “quiet firing” happens when an employer fails to provide support or profession­al developmen­t.

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