Avoid Quiet Firing

Employers are responding to quiet quitting with quiet firing. While quiet quitting refers to workers doing the bare minimum expected of them at work, the internet has coined a new term for what managers are doing in response — “quiet firing.” Quiet firing refers to minimizing an employee’s significance. Subtle tactics include sidelining the employees who put in the bare minimum by cutting responsibilities. This in turns leads to the denial of promotions and raise.

Managers may no longer invite quiet quitters to certain meetings or offer them certain projects. According to workplace consultant Victor Assad, this may be an indication that management is not valuing quiet quitters as highly as they used to.

Employers and employees can find effective ways to meet each others needs. Some simple methods include:

• Open communication with your manager: Speak with leadership to advocate for yourself if you think you are being quietly fired. Be honest about your needs and boundaries.
• Do your homework: Familiarize yourself with the protocols for promotions and raises at work. Additionally, keep a record of accomplishments and the value they have added at work.
• Exceed expectations within your position description: View every task or situation as an opportunity to go above and beyond what is expected by your co-workers, managers and all other stakeholders.

Malissa Lewis serves as the Chief of the Loan Repayment Branch in HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW). She leads a team of nineteen analysts who work to strengthen the healthcare workforce and build healthy communities through the administration several workforce loan repayment programs.

Prior to the Loan Repayment Branch, she served as a section chief in the Division’s Scholarship Branch. Malissa has over 11 years of public health experience and leadership experience.

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