Some employers are practicing a trend called “quiet firing.” Quiet firing happens when an employer subtly creates an unstable work environment for employees to force them to quit rather than formally firing them.
This often happens when an employer wants to avoid paying their employee unemployment, severance and other benefits or as an act of retaliation. Employees may need to watch for the signs of quiet firing and understand their legal rights. Here is what you should know:
1. Overworked/underworked
Many forms of quiet firing start when an employer overworks or underworks an employee. When an employee is overworked, they may be given too many tasks, causing them to miss deadlines and drop in performance. An employee who is underworked may feel useless or they may feel that they could find better opportunities elsewhere.
2. Removed from group discussions
Many employees require constant communication with their co-workers and frequent group meetings to understand and complete their projects. An employer may remove an employee from group chats and exclude them from meetings to make their job harder.
3. Poor performance review
An employer may create a performance review of an employee. This employer may score an employee poorly on the performance review, which may lead to a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) or other kinds of programs. A PIP is meant to set expectations for an employee to improve at their job. However, a PIP may also be used to punish an employee by setting unrealistic goals and creating unreasonable stress and anxiety.
Employees can be severely impacted by quiet firing. Professional legal guidance can help employees explore their rights if they believe they are a target of quiet firing and other retaliatory actions from their employers. Compensation and remedies may be available for employees who enforce their legal rights.
