What to Do If You Are “deprived” of Your Job

There are 8,760 hours each year, and the average person spends about 1,992 of them, or more than a fifth of their life, at work . Your relationship with work is usually determined by your relationship with your co-workers and your boss , especially a boss who has a lot of control over your day-to-day work at work and thus has a lot of control over one-fifth of your life (or more). A toxic boss can turn your life into a nightmare.

When your boss openly tries to get rid of you, it’s bad enough, but at least you know what’s going on. Sometimes the boss doesn’t want to fire you, so he decides to fire you instead. “Management,” sometimes called a ” silent dismissal ,” is a technique in which your boss makes your job so miserable that you voluntarily quit, relieving him of the need to justify your dismissal. It may make you miserable, but at least you can take steps to protect yourself. Here’s what you can do if you’ve lost your job.

Signs

The first step in protecting yourself from quitting your job is to recognize the signs that it’s happening. While these may seem obvious in a list (or in retrospect), in reality they can often occur unnoticed over a period of time. Here’s what to look for:

• Negative dynamics. You don’t have to be best friends with your boss, but in a normal, functioning work environment, there is at least a superficial sense of camaraderie. If your boss suddenly (and inexplicably) becomes cold and hostile towards you, this may indicate that you have become a problem that he would very much like to get rid of on his own.

• Reduced responsibility. If you’re given less to do, not invited to meetings, and don’t use email chains and Slack chats, your first reaction may be to enjoy the extra time and reduced stress. But often this is the result of the manager hoping you’ll take the hint and leave. Check with your colleagues: if they are as busy as always, or even busier, this is a clear sign that you have been sidelined.

• No reward. If you haven’t received a raise or promotion (or even a compliment) in a while, it could be a sign that your manager has given up on your career and is simply hoping you’ll move on to a new position somewhere else.

• Micromanagement. A manager who suddenly checks everything you do and regularly makes lists of complaints and mistakes may be making it clear that you are not needed. Good managers usually try to help an employee correct mistakes or missing skills, rather than simply making them feel incompetent – if there is no support, only constant disdain, they may be sending you a message.

• Impossible tasks. Did your manager say nothing negative, but set you goals or tasks that no one else could accomplish? They may be hoping that you will give up and move on.

If you see one or more of these signs, you may be in the midst of a counter-attack campaign. Here’s what you need to do.

Investigate

Your first step is to try to determine what has changed—why your boss suddenly wants you to leave. The most effective way to achieve this is to schedule a meeting with your boss, either in the form of a formal performance review or a more informal review. While your boss probably won’t outright admit that he wants you out, you may be able to at least understand why you’ve suddenly become undesirable.

This is extremely important because some causes of failure to control can be eliminated. If budgets have been cut and your boss is trying to cut heads without firing someone, you can offer to take on additional responsibilities or find a way to move to a different project or department—and he might even help you with that. since that would solve their problem. If there is a performance-related cause of hostility that isn’t reflected in your feedback, that can also be addressed, and if your boss doesn’t think you’re capable, you can change the tone of the conversation. having a professional development plan. And it is always possible that the silent shooting was due to some misunderstanding that led to personal animosity and the atmosphere could clear up.

If there’s no clear answer and the only thing that validates your conversation is that your boss would be happy to see you less often, at least that certainty is valuable.

Document

Regardless of whether there is any specific reason for silent firing or not, you should immediately start documenting everything at work. Take notes, back up all conversations with written confirmation, and force your boss to put things straight in writing. For example, if they verbally give you unreasonable goals, send an email restating those goals, stating your objections to them, and asking for confirmation.

This kind of documentation will become very important if your silent gunfire gets louder, and will be critical if you suspect that you are being fired for unfair reasons – for example, because of your age or because of special needs in the office. While voicing your concerns about your management to HR or your boss’s boss is unlikely to improve the situation , because it will often be your word against theirs, if you intend to make your case in this way, you will need all the supporting documentation. you can get ready.

Alternatively, if you decide that you can address the reasons for your boss’s hostility, this documentation can help prove that you are meeting performance goals or offering a solid return on investment in exchange for your salary and benefits.

Being forced to leave your job due to a hostile environment is called constructive dismissal , and you can sue. But these claims can be very difficult to prove, so you’ll need a lot of detailed notes if you decide to go this route.

Prepare

Whether you want to fight for your job or not, knowing you’re being fired from your job at least gives you some wiggle room. You should immediately prepare for the worst-case scenario:

• Get your finances in order. If you don’t have an emergency fund, start saving money while you still have income, pay off debt, and create an emergency budget.

• Get your data in order. You can’t take sensitive information with you, but you should prepare to store useful things like emails, contact lists, and research that may benefit you in the future. Be aware of legal and contractual restrictions, but if you can take the data with you, download and export it in advance.

• Get ready to search for a job. Even if you plan to fight for your job and think you can get along with your boss, brush up on your resume and start networking in case you have to look for a new position .

• Understand the links. If your boss is pushing you out, he may not be the best source of referrals . Think about who else you can list as a reference for potential employers.

• Let’s look at the manual. Even if you know your boss is being unfair, silent shooting can be very mentally and emotionally challenging. A therapist, career coach or mentor can help you maintain balance in your current situation.

Quitting your job can be stressful and unpleasant. But if you take steps to figure out why you’re being targeted silently and protect yourself, you’ll at least feel a little more in control of the situation.

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