What is ‘quiet firing’? How employers are driving women to quit their jobs, according to lawyers

More than a quarter of women have left their jobs after being made to feel “uncomfortable”, a leading law firm in the UK has revealed.

Company Irwin Mitchell, which conducted the research, has linked the rise in resignations to so-called ‘quiet firing’ - a “concerning” new trend emerging in workplaces across the UK.

The practice sees employers engage in behaviours which make their employees want to quit, essentially driving them towards their resignation. Research suggests that this can affect all genders, but is more likely to impact women.

Irwin Mitchell has said that this ‘trend’ “poses serious concerns” around whether employees can identify unlawful behaviour in the workplace - and whether they know when they can bring legal action against their employers, for instance, in the form of discrimination or constructive dismissal claims.

The firm is therefore looking to raise awareness of the practice, the “debilitating” impact it can have, and the measures that can be put in place to tackle ‘quiet firing’.

What is quiet firing?

According to Irwin Mitchell, quiet firing is when an employer treats their employee badly so that they feel they have no choice but to leave their job. Examples of behaviour that may arise in these circumstances include:

• Being made to feel uncomfortable
• Being ignored by your manager
• A sudden or unexplained change of role or responsibilities
• Being left out of socials
• Being left out of meetings
• Being passed over for promotion
• Lack of feedback
• Having information withheld
• Being undermined in a meeting

A nationally representative survey of 2,475 people, which was conducted by the firm, found that women are more likely be subjected to these sorts of behaviours. More than a quarter of women said they had left a job after being made to feel uncomfortable, and just under a quarter have had information purposely witheld from them.

23% said they had been actively ignored by their manager, and 25% said they had been in roles where they received no feedback at all. Meanwhile, across the UK, 34% of people have experienced workplace bullying “disguised” as banter.

Something also raised in the research was that the majority of people in the UK - 90% - had never heard of ‘quiet firing’, which Irwin Mitchell warned was leaving employees vulnerable.

Deborah Casale, a parnter in the London employment team at Irwin Mitchell, said: “The widespread knowledge gap among employees around quiet firing is concerning.

“This type of behaviour can form grounds for constructive dismissal if it breaches the implied term of trust and confidence in the employment relationship and the employee has more than two years of service.

“Employees should be aware of their legal rights in these situations and should take advice at an early stage to protect their position. Likewise, employers need to be aware of the dangers of quiet firing.”

If you have been a victim of “unlawful workplace culture” or believe you have quit your job as a result of ‘quiet firing’, you can contact Irwin Mitchell for help and advice on the best course of action - and whether you have a case for constructive dismissal.