You’ve noticed subtle changes in the workplace. You’re no longer being invited to important meetings or being assigned challenging, high-profile projects.
You feel like you’re being pushed out of the company, but your boss hasn’t said a word. This phenomenon is known as “quiet firing”, and if it’s motivated by prejudice, it can be considered illegal discrimination.
Recognizing discriminatory quiet firing
Terminating an employee directly can involve severance pay and an unemployment claim. Rather than deal with that, the employer engages in quiet firing, a passive-aggressive method where an employer makes a job so undesirable that the employee feels quitting is the best option.
Quiet firing can manifest in various ways:
- Your responsibilities are gradually given to others, leaving you with menial tasks
- Your boss constantly passes you over for promotions, raises or professional development opportunities
- You are left out of important meetings, department emails and team-building activities
- Your boss no longer provides you with constructive feedback and support
- Your employer sets impossible goals for you, thus setting you up to fail
These actions can be demoralizing, but not necessarily illegal. But if the motivation behind them is based on an employee’s protected status, quiet firing becomes a form of discrimination. Because it is so subtle, it can be easy to mask the discriminatory intent. Examples of quiet firing linked to unlawful discrimination include:
- An older employee who consistently received good reviews is suddenly stripped of their major accounts, which are reassigned to younger colleagues.
- An employee who recently announced their pregnancy is excluded from training opportunities
- A person of color with experience and a strong track record is repeatedly denied opportunities to lead projects in favor of their white colleagues.
In each of these scenarios, the employer’s actions create an undesirable work environment, and since they appear tied to a protected status, they may be considered illegal discrimination.
If you suspect your employer is trying to quiet fire you for discriminatory reasons, it’s vital to keep a detailed record of every incident. Speak with a legal professional who can help you understand your rights and discuss your best course of action.