“Quiet firing” occurs when an employer deliberately creates a toxic work environment in the hope that an employee will quit on their own. Some employers resort to quiet firing because they do not want to pay severance or unemployment. In other cases, quiet firing may be used as retaliation against an employee who has filed a harassment or discrimination claim.
If an employee begins to feel pressure from their employer after filing such a claim, they could be the target of quiet firing. Here are some common signs to watch out for:
1. Being left out of team meetings
Employees often rely on regular team meetings and communication with coworkers to perform their jobs effectively. An employer may intentionally exclude someone from these meetings, making it harder for them to complete their work and leaving them feeling isolated and out of the loop.
2. Receiving a poor performance review
An employee may suddenly receive a negative performance review despite having a history of strong evaluations. This sudden change could be a tactic to justify placing the employee on a performance improvement plan or to prevent them from receiving a promotion.
3. Being given excessive workloads
Sometimes, an employer may assign an employee an unreasonable number of last-minute projects with unrealistic deadlines. The goal may be to overwhelm the employee, increase stress and pressure them into quitting.
If an employer engages in quiet firing after an employee has filed a harassment or discrimination claim, it could be a violation of the employee’s legal rights.