Workplace retaliation is a serious concern across the United States. Labor laws protect workers from retaliation for engaging in legally protected activities such as reporting discrimination, harassment, safety violations or other unlawful behaviors.
Your employer may attempt to retaliate using subtle means so as not to leave evidence, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as “quiet firing.” Signs that you are being quiet fired may include the following.
1. Increasingly mundane work
One of the signs that your employer might be quietly firing you is if they start assigning increasingly mundane or trivial tasks that are below your skill level and experience. This could indicate that they are trying to push you out of the company by making your job less fulfilling or challenging, hoping that you will become dissatisfied and leave voluntarily.
2. Denied raises
You may notice a pattern of being consistently denied raises or promotions despite your qualifications and performance. While occasional rejections are normal, if you’ve been consistently passed over for advancement opportunities or denied salary increases without valid explanation, it could be a sign that your employer is trying to quietly push you out of the organization. They may hope that financial stagnation will lead you to seek opportunities elsewhere, thus avoiding the need for overt termination.
3. Unreasonable performance expectations
Performance targets that suddenly become unattainable or are continually raised to levels beyond reasonable achievement may indicate that your employer is setting you up to fail. If you find yourself constantly struggling to meet unrealistic goals despite previous success, it could be a tactic to justify your termination or create a pretext for disciplinary action.
4. Increased isolation
Another tactic that your employer could employ in a quiet firing scenario is to isolate you from important projects, meetings or communication channels within the company. They may gradually exclude you from decision-making processes or withhold critical information, making it difficult for you to contribute effectively to the organization.
If you suspect that your employer is retaliating by quiet firing you, consider seeking legal guidance to help ensure you understand your rights, assess the situation thoroughly and determine the best course of action.
