“Quiet quitting”, I’m sure you’ve heard of that phrase. Social media made it loud and clear to all of us. Underneath the veil of work-life balance of corporate culture, what is really going on behind the scenes?

Now a new term is trending. Are companies firing back against quiet quitters with quiet firing? Quiet firing is a disturbing term made viral by TikTok influencer DeAndre Brown who states that quiet firing, “is when a company fails to reward its employees for their organizational contribution, and hence forcing them to leave.” 

To put it simply, quiet firing is when a company’s management makes a non-ideal work environment to make an underperforming employee quit, whether intentionally or not an issue that will plague all of us.

Samples of these tactics are not receiving feedback, no pay increase/raise, no promotion, and getting looked over by the rest for forcibly making an employee quit. Ideally, when the management isn’t satisfied with the employee’s performance or they simply didn’t make the cut on the performance requirement.

4 Signs To Watch Out For

There are telltale signs to look out for when you feel like your boss or company is quietly firing you. This may be an unorthodox way for businesses to lay off underperforming employees without giving them severance pay. By watching out against these unwarranted subversions, you may protect yourself from wrongful termination. 

     1. No feedback on your work

This may simply be the lack of constructive criticism or feedback on your work. Receiving feedback helps an employee improve, and receiving recognition if you’ve done a great job is good for morale. When your manager isn’t providing constructive criticism of the way you do your work, it may perhaps be more deep-seated than you think. Initially, you may think that you’re doing well. In some cases, you’re getting looked over and are currently being targeted with workplace bullying. 

     2. No salary increase or promotion

It’s in our nature to progress or achieve in terms of our careers, and the opportunity to have a pay increase or a promotion is important for every person to build their careers and have job satisfaction at the same time. When you feel like you’ve been stuck in the same job responsibilities for ages, and your manager is avoiding you to have the opportunity for career advancement, not receiving a pay raise or a promotion may be a way to pressure an employee to quit and look for greener pastures. 

     3. Your ideas are disregarded

During team meetings, it’s important to hear everyone’s opinions and get ideas rolling. When you’re in a situation where your opinions are being thrown out or not being heard, then perhaps it’s time for you to reach out to your manager or talk to your closest confidant.

     4. Your manager avoids engaging with you 

Whenever your manager avoids one-on-one meetings or just a simple catch-up with you. It may be a sign that they are no longer interested in keeping you for long. As previously mentioned, having feedback and a simple catch-up with your manager builds trust and confidence. When those two are missing, you  might be on thin ice. 

What To Do When You Feel Someone Is Quietly Firing You 

When you’ve come to the conclusion that you are quietly being fired. There are steps to mitigate it. Reach out to human resources, your close work friend, or keep your performance high. Meeting key performance indicators (KPIs) will prove that you are doing your job well, and prove a point that you deserve a raise or promotion. Talking to human resources and stating all your grievances or concerns will help you, such as transferring you to another department or reprimanding the person who is bullying you to the verge of quitting. 

The Bottom Line 

Ultimately, quiet firing is another addition to a plethora of ingredients within a toxic work environment. Not regularly receiving feedback, no pay raise, or promotion, ideas being rejected, and workplace bullying are the symptoms of a toxic work environment. Always remember, to reach out to those who can and are willing to help. Removing the stress from work will help you grow and advance your career.