Subtle Trend of Corporate World
In an age of subtle office politics and power struggles at work, there is a silent tactic growing its way through Nepal’s corporate world – and it’s called ‘quiet firing’. This is the complete opposite of providing termination letters and creating high-drama exits at offices. Quiet firing is a lower-pitched ‘get-out’, more passive than expected, with little to no reaction from the organisation. Employees are caught between a rock and a hard place. It is the art that leaders praise because it’s easier to gradually push an employee out without ever pronouncing ‘fired’.
But the real question is: Are you at risk of being quietly fired?
What Exactly Is Quiet Firing?
Quiet firing isn’t the moment you might see on TV or in the news when the Trump administration, through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk, closes USIP. This results in approximately 300 employees receiving late-night termination emails sent to their personal accounts, as many have already lost access to the organisation’s systems. Instead, it is a ploy where the boss slowly drifts away from an employee, burying them under an avalanche of impossible tasks or stripping them of communication and involvement – all without giving the employee any formal indication that their job is in jeopardy.
Imagine being passed over for the project mentioned in your job description. Or finding yourself left off team emails you are usually copied on. Maybe your promised promotion gets cancelled, and your supervisor starts ignoring your one-on-ones. At first, you think, ‘Is this just a rough patch?’ But soon, you realise it’s more than that.
So, what does this look like in real life? Let’s break it down:
Common Signs of Quiet Firing
Here are a few situations. If you notice any of these red flags, it’s crucial to take a closer look at your circumstances.
Workload Diminishes:
The foremost signs of quiet firing are the task reductions that are sudden and unexplained. Projects that come to you are now redirected to your subordinates without any clear rationale provided. You think it’s a temporary relief based on workload management, but over time, it contributes to a sense of being undervalued.
Job Burnouts:
when supervisors steadily escalate workloads to unsustainable levels, job burnout arises. Overlooking the need for necessary resources, backing, or acknowledgement, which possibly causes self-doubt. When the task is overwhelming, it’s common to doubt your skills and effectiveness.
Workplace Exclusion Creeps In:
Silent exclusion creates deep isolation, especially when managers form informal groups and hold discussions without informing you. This subtle sidelining makes you feel invisible in your workplace. Leadership, instead of fostering inclusivity, often adds fuel to the fire by encouraging favouritism or allowing internal conflicts to persist. You suddenly find yourself detached from your colleagues, struggling to stay motivated.
Lack of Recognition:
You put in hard work, only to find yourself ignored despite your dedication. It can be a calculated attempt to diminish your perceived importance. When your contributions don’t get the acknowledgment it deserves, it becomes frustrating and discouraging.
Disguising Career Stagnation as Growth Opportunities:
Career stagnation is cleverly masked as ‘growth’ by offering unconventional and undesirable tasks, cross-department or geographical transfers to less prominent departments or less desirable locations, especially those others have shunned. The terms ‘organisation needs’ and ‘expanding your role’ are used to promote obstacles in real career advancement. This subtle manipulation misaligns with your skills, interests, and overall career objectives.
Why it is Popular?
Current corporate culture has made it seem permissible and legal. Leaders take the high road to make the work environment uncomfortable, leading the employee to quit voluntarily. They are often proud of this strategy and are even praised by management for their ability to maintain cost. Here are some reasons, why quiet firing is gaining traction:
- To Keep the nose clean: Terminating or firing an employee may lead to Legal challenges, if the decision is arbitrary or discriminatory. Neglected procedures, such as not conducting performance reviews or non-issuance of warnings prior to termination, along with no proper and clear communication, make the firing unjust. To avoid legal consequences and possible regulatory scrutiny, as well as future risk, management tries making them feel unvalued until they leave.
- Blends with Yes-men culture: Sometimes, managers use quiet firing to remove employees due to differences in working styles, personal prejudice, and unresolved conflicts. Managers may feel justified in their decisions when they notice a pattern that supports their preconceived notions. They also prefer employees who don’t challenge their authority or decisions. It can feel easier to make decisions when there’s no pushback.
- Easier Than Confrontation: Avoiding confrontation yields immediate relief but carries future costs. While sidestepping difficult conversations can offer temporary emotional ease, managers who prioritise unproductive argument avoidance or emotional dispute prevention sometimes fail to take decisive stands.
- Cost Saving: Retaining senior employees at office often come with long-term costs of retention, which can place an important financial burden on the organisation. Replacing them with appropriately skilled, lower-cost personnel can reduce overall salary expenditures. Conversely, while the involuntary termination of senior employees, even when conducted through proper procedures, incurs severance and legal costs, it represents a fiscally responsible approach for the organisation. Therefore, encouraging voluntary turnover can improve the company’s financial health.
- Protects Company Reputation: Mass layoffs generate negative publicity and harm a company reputation. Repeated firings indicate underlying issues like instability or mismanagement, raising concerns for stakeholders and prospective employees. In contrast, quiet firing offers a more subtle approach to workforce reduction. By subtly prompting employees to resign voluntarily, companies avoid unwanted attention, minimise public criticism, and ultimately safeguard their industry standing while projecting an image of stability.
Real Talk: why Quiet Firing should be addressed?
Let’s have an honest discussion, we are all in the same shoes when we have to manage difficult employees. As a leader, it is tempting to sidestep conflict by gradually distancing yourself from a struggling team member. A common leadership challenge is the temptation to avoid confrontation. But remember, instead of relying on subtle strategies, which erode morale and foster workplace tension, prioritise directly addressing issues. Open and honest communication forms the bedrock of positive professional relationships, yielding benefits such as these:
1. Safeguard the trust from Erosion: Gallup’s article titled “Quiet Firing: What It Is and How to Stop Doing It,” published on November 18, 2022, explains that in extreme cases, quiet firing occurs when managers intentionally create toxic or distressing work environments to force employees out – a behaviour likened to gaslighting. The secretive nature of such dismissals creates a ripple effect, eroding trust not only within the organisation but also among the former employee’s colleagues, friends, subordinates, and broader network. To avoid such actions, breed insecurity among employees the company should refrain from it. Furthermore, to positively impact morale and motivation by preventing feelings of uncertainty or frustration, the company should prioritise transparent communication and avoid quiet firing practices.
2. Mitigate Detrimental Situation: A formal performance improvement plan empowers employees by offering an opportunity to rectify performance issues and progress, in contrast to quiet firing which deprives them of necessary feedback and growth opportunities. High-performing employees, eager to learn and advance, often seek a transparent development path. While keen learners may observe and learn from colleagues, quiet firing leaves them feeling victimised by the lack of clarity, causing them to proactively seek better growth opportunities elsewhere. Conversely, an organisation’s quiet firing strategy also unintentionally pushes out employees who are the right fit. To avoid such unintended detrimental outcomes, quiet firing should be replaced with effective talent retention strategies.
3. Build a positive organisation culture: While often perceived as a manager’s prerogative, quiet firing ultimately undermines their leadership integrity. As Mr. R. P. Yadav, Chairman-Managing Director of Genius Consultants Limited, stated in “Decoding Silent Firing: An Emerging Career Trend in 2025,” an Economic Times article published on April 5, 2025, silent firing should be handled with great sensitivity. Although some companies might view it as an easy solution for managing underperformance, this approach can seriously damage employee morale, trust, and broader organisational dynamics. Addressing the quiet firing technique proactively not only preserves the organisation’s reputation from deterioration but also fosters satisfaction, team synergies, prevents resentment, discrimination, and other internal conflicts – ensuring a positive culture.
4. Prevents Legal Issues: Quiet firing unintentionally exposes favouritism or unconscious bias within the organisation. When prejudice overrides merit, it manifests through unspoken norms, informal evaluation methods, or subtle managerial actions. Some employees react poorly, potentially creating dissatisfaction within the team or retaliating through behaviours like spreading rumours, lowering work quality, or becoming openly disengaged. Choosing to sidestep from clear communication with employees means foregoing the opportunity to resolve issues constructively, which encourages employees to choose legal action instead of engaging in proper communication. Litigations can become expensive to the organisation not only in terms of settlements, fines, and potential compensation but also by damaging the client trust, partnerships, and talent acquisition.
5. Promotes Accountability in Leadership : Through clear communication, support, and guidance, leaders enable employees to improve, reach their full potential, and contribute to the organisation’s success. When leaders fail to provide transparency or guidance while team members struggle, the organisation’s reputation suffers. Quiet firing ignores the root cause of underperformance, leading to a self-perpetuating cycle of inefficiency where resources are wasted on managing unhappy employees instead of improving team dynamics or skills. Encouraging leaders to be accountable and be responsible for their role in employee development and performance management boosts morale, and helps creating a workplace where every individual knows their contributions matter.
What is the Role of an HR?
In the article “Quiet Firing! Why It Needs to Stop and How HR Can Get Involved” featured in Trends in HR, Natal Dank – co-founder of PXO Culture and a leading voice in Agile HR – emphasises the importance of rethinking how organisations recruit and develop managers. She advises expanding the recruitment lens to prioritise cultural fit and interpersonal capabilities, such as coaching and people management, over pure subject matter expertise. According to Dank, ideal leaders are those who empower their teams to determine how tasks are executed, rather than micromanaging the process.
She also points out the rarity of finding a ‘unicorn’ leader who excels simultaneously at coaching, strategy, and technical execution. Instead of focusing rigidly on roles, Dank suggests organisations should prioritise skill sets – where managers are strong in people skills, and team leads bring in technical or strategic expertise.
HR Should:
Create People Centric Management: Actively listen to employees’ voice – whether through anonymous surveys or open-door policies – ensuring everyone feels heard and valued.
Encourage respect and growth: Train managers to recognise unconscious bias, microaggressions, and embrace cultural competence, they help cultivate an environment.
Foster cooperation and inclusivity: Adopt a workplace that champions cooperation over competition and thrives on mutual support to foster stronger team dynamics and collaboration.
Train Leadership Position: Managers who empower employees instead of micromanaging encourage innovation and ownership.
Creating a workplace focused on smart workload management and an office atmosphere that promotes psychological safety prevents burnout, allowing everyone to excel in their careers while maintaining overall well-being.
Moving Forward: If you think you’re being quietly fired, here’s your takeaway:
It might feel like you’re stuck in a quiet storm, but remember, no storm lasts forever. In the Harvard Business Review article “Are You Being Quiet Fired?” by Ayalla Ruvio and Forrest V. Morgeson, published on November 7, 2022, the authors state, “We found that more than 40% of respondents who had experienced quiet firing simply tried to ignore the problem, expressing a reluctance to cause trouble or spark conflict. But when you know the warning signs to look out for and the steps you can take to address them, you’ll have the tools you need to get ahead of the problem. And whether you decide to quit or stick it out, remember that you deserve to be appreciated and valued – at your current job or the next.”
From this moment forward, do not let pressure silence your voice or define a lack of strength. Pay attention to subtle signs and always advocate for yourself. Take charge in ensuring your value is recognised, your work is seen, and your hard work is valued. Whether through simply maintaining visibility via clear communication, seeking growth opportunities, or taking action, this is your best defence against quiet firing. Do not allow yourself to be overlooked – you deserve to be seen, heard, and respected.
Poudel can be reached at pratikshya@policyparlor.com for feedback and comments.
