Gradually making an employee's job miserable — no promotion, no growth, no feedback, stripped-down projects — until they quit on their own. Legally safer for the company than firing; emotionally more damaging for the worker. 2023 saw the term become an HR bogeyman.
"They've been quiet firing him for 6 months. He finally left last week."
“Quiet quitting can be considered a subset of "quiet firing".”
Quiet firing is when an employer makes someone's job miserable or starves them of opportunities until they quit, instead of firing them outright. Counterpart to quiet quitting. Not concerning, just workplace vocabulary; worth knowing if your young adult is experiencing it. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "quiet firing".
Office-speak decoded — the corporate euphemisms, Agile rituals, and HR buzzwords you'll hear in every standup, retro, and performance review.
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The active or passive neglect of employees in a way that leads to their resignation.
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