How to Know You’re Being Quietly Fired (and Why It’s Nothing New)
You’ve heard of “quiet layoffs” of employees. Now get ready for the flip side of the buzzword: “silent shooting.” As we have pointed out earlier, quiet smoking cessation quickly swelled. It’s not “leaving”; it is the performance of the amount of work for which you have agreed to be compensated. And so, amid the growing backlash against this viral term, many have pointed out that our collective efforts are better directed towards realizing what employers are to blame for: quiet layoffs. Take, for example, Twitter user @randy_user who describes silent shooting as “when you don’t give someone a raise for 5 years even though they keep doing everything you ask them to do.”
While “silent failure” is a misnomer, “silent firing” is a more accurate description of what it is. While none of these phrases describe an entirely new phenomenon, silent shooting has very real implications for your career. Here’s what you need to know about the meaning of the term and how you should respond if you suspect you’re being “quietly fired.”
What is “silent shooting”?
Quiet dismissal describes the act of pushing an employee out of the workplace rather than firing them outright. This is similar to the concept of ” constructive termination “, which essentially means being forced to quit and may be grounds for suing your employer. However, the hype surrounding the term “silent shooting” indicates that we need to label a more insidious, hard-to-define practice.
While many employers may inadvertently treat their employees in a way that could qualify as a quiet layoff, for others it is a completely deliberate practice. Quietly firing someone is a way to save on severance pay or avoid a long process of productivity improvement.
Quiet layoffs can take many forms, from providing workers with minimal resources to more egregious acts of discrimination. However, it is more likely that employers use more subtle tactics, such as not providing opportunities for growth until the employee feels that they are being neglected enough to leave. The goal is to mistreat the employee until he reaches a breaking point and quits allegedly “of his own free will.” Whatever it looks like, the message of silent shooting is clear: if you don’t like it here, then leave.
How to recognize silent shooting
As we mentioned above, silent shooting is not always obvious or easily proven. Here are some examples of what a quiet layoff might look like, especially if your employer combines several of the following:
- You are not invited (or explicitly not allowed) to networking opportunities and social events.
- You receive feedback about poor performance without reasonable justification or explanation.
- It’s impossible to tell your boss whether you’re looking for reviews, feedback, or any kind of support at all.
- Your boss “makes an example of you” in front of other employees.
- You’ve been denied promotion several times.
- You have been skipped for promotions or less deserving employees continue to rise ahead of you.
- You are not offered (or even denied) the same career opportunities as your colleagues.
- Your responsibilities have been reduced, or you have been forced to focus exclusively on hard work rather than more meaningful tasks.
- You brought up any of the above points in front of your boss and they refuse to provide any clarity.
It is important to note that women and people of color tend to receive less support from managers and are at greater risk of being quietly fired.
What to do if you get fired silently
When you’re in a work environment that feels like it’s pushing you, it’s hard to want to give more. A quiet layoff can naturally lead to what employers call a quiet layoff before you reach your ultimate goal of a loud layoff.
If you feel like you’re being quietly fired, start keeping a journal to document what’s going on . You can use this to express concerns to your HR department or use it against them if you decide to take action in the future.
If you think your silent shooting is unintentional, consider having a one-on-one chat to communicate your concerns. There is a chance that you have been the victim of arbitrary mismanagement rather than a malicious forced exit.
In the end, it might be time to think about leaving this job. Even if you feel like you’re letting the company win, no one should suffer from behind-the-scenes, belittling stealth tactics.