‘Quiet Firing’ has been generating some buzz around social media for a while now. It is when your employer intentionally makes you feel underappreciated or underqualified at your job with the hopes of pushing you to resign.
Rather than being open to giving honest feedback, the boss demoralizes the employee to the point where they start feeling burnt out and eventually give up on the job. If you think your boss is trying to ‘quiet fire’ you, here are 5 tips on how to handle it:
Open conversation
Your first course of action should always be to resolve the conflict directly. Talk to your boss and let them know you are open to feedback. If your boss is avoiding it, this might open up a much-needed channel of communication. Be rational, open to listening, and non-argumentative.
Go to higher-ups
If talking to your boss does not work, try going to people higher up than him or her. Chances are your boss might be suffering the pangs of ‘quiet firing’ themselves. This might be why your boss cannot give you the feedback and attention you deserve. Bringing the problem to their higher-ups’ notice might get you the answers you need.
Speak up
If you have a hard time communicating with the management, look into employee resource groups or unions that can help get your point to the right authorities. This also helps you understand your rights as an employee to avoid being exploited.
Protocol
While you should familiarise yourself with the protocols of your company as soon as you can upon joining it, re-looking into it might not hurt in case you feel you are not being treated fairly. When a conversation happens, fresh protocols in your mind might make it easier for you to convey your message.
Build rapport
Especially if you are a remote or hybrid employee, establishing a rapport with your employer and co-workers might be hard. Knowing you have people looking out for you might make your journey easier. Try to build a rapport every chance you get not only with your employer but your co-workers.
