Ask a Career Advisor: How Can You Tell if You’re Being Quiet Fired?

Quiet quitting, also known as “acting your wage,” has gone viral in our post-COVID world. Instead of going above and beyond, employees are embracing this trend of doing only what their job requires and setting tighter boundaries between their work and home lives. On the flip side, quiet firing has also started showing up in headlines, social media posts, and online discussions.

But what is quiet firing, and how can you tell if it’s happening to you? We asked Lori Cole, Certified Career Coach and Advisor at iHire, for her take.

What is Quiet Firing?

“Essentially, quiet firing is when your employer treats you poorly to get you to quit,” said Cole. “Instead of firing you, their goal is to make your work life so miserable that you leave on your own.”

Unfortunately, quiet firing isn’t anything new, but this passive-aggressive behavior has found a different name thanks to the virality of quiet quitting.

“Managers may do this, whether they realize it or not, to avoid difficult performance-related conversations or provide constructive feedback when an employee isn’t doing well,” added Cole. “Regardless, quiet firing is a weak management practice and will negatively impact an organization’s brand.”

Signs You’re Being Quiet Fired

So, how can you tell if you’re being quiet fired?

“Quiet firing can show up in different ways. You may notice your manager slowly taking projects away from you, reducing your hours, or avoiding you,” Cole explained. “You could be left out of important meetings or set up for failure with impossible goals and deadlines.”

Some other signs of being quiet fired include:

• Your manager stops giving you feedback
• You’re passed over for promotions or raises you deserve
• You’re assigned basic projects or easy tasks that don’t align with your skills or experience
• You’re not given opportunities to learn or grow

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If you think you’re being quiet fired, take a step back and think about why this could be happening. Are you doing well in your position, or have you had performance issues lately? Are you being singled out, or are you witnessing quiet firing happening across the company? Has your manager always acted this way, or is this a recent change in behavior?

“It’s possible that you could address this with your manager directly or reach out for support from HR to stop quiet firing,” suggested Cole. “However, if you determine that you really aren’t a great fit for your current position or your work environment is truly toxic, your best move is to find another opportunity.”

Get more on-the-job advice in our Resource Center, including ways to improve company culture as an employee and find meaningful work.