What is quiet firing?

You may have already heard of ‘quiet quitting’, where employees do only the bare minimum within their roles to avoid being fired while they search for a different role. However, you might not have heard of ‘quiet firing’.

Whilst quiet quitting is characterised by employee conduct, quiet firing is the opposite. It’s defined by how employers treat their employees in a way that will make the employee want to resign.

In this article we ask the questions:

• What is quiet firing?
• How much of an issue is quiet firing?
• What are the legal and HR implications of quiet firing?

At Croner, we’re experts at HR, employment law, and health and safety. We’re ready to answer any questions you might have, so why not give us a call today on 0808 501 6651?

What is quiet firing?

Quiet firing is when an employer intentionally makes the workplace or a job role unappealing in the hope that the employee quits. It’s a passive aggressive and unethical method that means employers don’t have to actively dismiss the employee.

Of course, there are issues with this approach. Namely, if you take it too far, you risk creating a hostile work environment for the employee. If this happens, the individual may resign and try to claim constructive dismissal. Or the employee could even potentially claim workplace harassment or bullying and this could result in an employment tribunal.

What are the signs of quiet firing?

There are many indicators of this method, including:

• Reassigning job responsibilities
• Passing over an employee for promotions or progression
• Not providing the relevant training for their role
• Giving an employee unreasonable or undesirable responsibilities
• Making pay cuts
• Preventing an employee from taking overtime when they want it
• Changing work hours or shift patterns
• Taking away perks or benefits
• Repeatedly cancelling or rescheduling meetings
• Providing overly critical feedback or glossing over good work
• Providing no feedback on work
• Failing to provide critical information relating to the role
• Exclusion from team events or gatherings

There are behaviours in the above list that could be considered discriminatory. If you need legal advice or support on getting clear on the types of behaviours that could be discriminatory, contact our knowledge team now on 0808 501 6651.

How much of an issue is a quiet fire? 

Quiet quitting surged in popularity on social media in August 2022, with 1.2 million searches for the term on Google. However, quiet firing is less discussed or well known, most likely due to most employers not owning up to a quiet fire as it is ethically wrong.

This indicates that whilst quiet firing may not have caught people’s attention the same way as quiet quitting, it’s still an important issue that affects employees a great deal. In fact, it’s a practice that has been going on for a very long time, but there has been a rise in cases of quiet firing too.

This could be from the rise in hybrid working after the pandemic. As staff work from home, it becomes easier to ignore employees and not check in with them regularly. If an employer does not fully engage with the hybrid model of work, the employee could face being quiet fired.

To avoid this scenario, make sure you have a full plan in place to manage hybrid staff. That way, no-one needs to get quiet fired.

What are the legal and HR implications of quiet firing?

Quiet firing can often be considered a HR nightmare. Whilst it may not be strictly illegal, it could very easily stray into illegal or dangerous territory. Even if you think your actions are fully legal, your employee could still raise a claim against you. This could also apply if one of your managers is quiet firing someone under their management.

One of the most likely reasons that a claim could be brought against you is that you are either bullying or harassing them. If this is the case, the employee could rightly take you to an employment tribunal under the Equality Act 2010.

For an employee to claim harassment, they’ll have to demonstrate unwanted conduct. The outcome of this conduct creates an environment that:

• Humiliates them
• Offends them
• Intimidates them
• Is hostile
• Is degrading

Finally, if this behaviour is aimed at the employee due to a protected characteristic, or is sexual in nature, then it will be classed as harassment too. Another risk is that making contract changes without employee consent would constitute a breach of contract. This could result in a claim of constructive dismissal and an employment tribunal.

How do I stamp out quiet firing in my organisation?

As an employer, it’s important that you regularly check in with managers and aim to retain a good working relationship with them.

It’s important to remember that an employment tribunal  will not accept ignorance as an excuse for discrimination or breach of contract, so regular check ins will allow you to be fully aware of any workplace situation. You can use these ‘one-to-ones’ to discuss any issues they may have, including performance and conduct. If a manager believes that one of your employees is a bad fit for the company, talk through the options with them on how to resolve the problem.

If the employee is problematic, you should consider the legal and appropriate options to deal with this first. Under no circumstances should you cut off contact with an employee or act hostile towards them. Instead, regular meetings often combat the tensions felt between managers and their staff and gives the employee an opportunity to discuss their concerns. As their employer, you should always listen to their point of view and treat them with respect and fairness, no matter your personal feelings on them.

Another effective method of employee engagement are employee surveys. They can help to compile a sample of the workforce morale and highlight any potential issues or red flags. You can also spot any dips in morale and recognise specific areas of the workplace that could be improved.

Finally, you should make sure your managers are all properly trained to deal with difficult conversations and can provide honest feedback when needed. This will give them the confidence to manage any issues in the right way, rather than quiet firing them. Your business will be better off in the long run for having followed all legal processes when it comes to people management.

Expert Croner support with people management 

Quiet firing is a symptom of poor management, communication, and inadequate training. Luckily, it’s something our HR consultants can support you to address.

We’re ready to step in and support you at any time of the day or night, so why not give our knowledgeable team a call today on 0808 501 6651?