48% of Workers Say They Watched a Colleague Get Quietly Pushed Out

Forty-eight percent of more than 200,000 respondents in a recent LinkedIn poll said they have witnessed a colleague being quietly fired. The term describes a situation where management avoids termination by withholding raises, promotions, and development opportunities over several years. The goal is to make the employee feel they have no choice but to resign.

This practice is distinct from quiet quitting, where an employee voluntarily reduces their effort while job hunting. In quiet firing, the employer controls the process. They manage the employee out rather than up. Bonnie Dilber, a recruiter at app-automation company Zapier, noted that the disengagement often stems from an environment that fails to support career growth. She said it often starts with the employer not investing in the employee, which leads to the employee becoming disengaged.

Gorick Ng, a career adviser at Harvard College and the University of California, Berkeley, explained that the decision to push someone out is often political. Sometimes, higher-ups have a favorite and push the other person away. Other times, it is a matter of performance where a manager gives up after not seeing expected behavior changes within a specific timeline.

Managers signal this intent in several ways. First, they may avoid necessary conversations. Ng suggested they hide because the discussion will become awkward. They might also reshuffle or cancel meetings. Dilber said a manager's primary job is to remove obstacles for their team. If a manager does not take time to understand an employee's work, it signals a lack of support.

Second, managers may divert preferred projects to other team members. This happens when a manager who promised an assignment redirects it elsewhere. Ng said this can indicate a lack of trust. He advised employees to ask co-workers if they have seen similar behavior changes to diagnose the situation before meeting with the boss.

Third, managers may fail to provide clarity on pay and promotions. Employees might receive small raises while peers get larger ones or be passed over for titles. Dilber recommended having a direct conversation about what is needed for advancement. If the manager cannot provide a clear trajectory, it indicates a lack of growth opportunities.

Fourth, companies may place employees on unreasonable performance improvement plans, or PIPs. If a competent employee receives a PIP based on subjective feedback, it is often code for the company wanting them to quit. Nadia De Ala, founder of Real You Leadership, said if action items are unachievable and stakeholders offer no support, the plan aims to push the employee out.

Finally, job expectations or workloads may change without input. Career coach Jasmine Escalera noted that organizations count on employees being tied to their salary. She cited a case where a colleague was told to move from New York to California to keep a downgraded position. Without additional pay or relocation support, the message is to accept the terms or leave.