What's on the other side of quiet quitting? What's quiet quitting, you say? Now, let's find out how that oh-so-evil manager might be trying to fire you quietly.
Project Overload — Ineffective Management
Has your manager ever overloaded you with project after project with no end in sight? These managers have many ideas and not enough employees to manage them appropriately. Or, they want the projects completed yesterday without considering all the other priorities that may be pulling you in different directions. Being overloaded with projects can lead to burnout and frustration that you just can't get anything done. With no end in sight and the inability to get things done, it could give your manager a reason to fire you.
So, what's the solution? Have a project plan of everything you're tasked with, including the date it was assigned and a priority level. Then set up reoccurring discussions with your manager to determine who on the team is responsible for the action items needed to complete the outstanding projects. It's important to document these check-ins to ensure that you have some backup documentation of your efforts. If the projects keep coming, let your manager know that you are overwhelmed and ask if any of your projects can be delayed or reassigned to someone else.
Passive-Aggressive Managers
Dealing with passive-aggressive managers can be difficult. Some passive-aggressive behavior could include excluding you from meetings, making subtle jokes that could be deemed offensive, not speaking to you in the morning, not inviting you to team events, or even passing you over for a promotion. All of these individually may seem like they could be justifiable or simple mistakes, but if it constantly happens with no justifiable purpose, your boss may be trying to alienate you and get you to quit.
So, what's the solution? Talk to your boss about the behavior and the fact that you may not be invited to important meetings. Encourage them to talk to you directly about any problems they may see or areas where you need improvement. Get a clear answer about why you were not promoted and have them explain what you could do in the future to advance. Finally, don't be afraid to speak your mind and assert yourself in these situations. You can do this by preparing for the conversation with facts and instances of passive-aggressive behaviors.
If All Else Fails — Quietly Quit?
This was the intention of your manager in the first place. They were quietly firing you so that you would ultimately quit. Before you quietly quit, you can find other avenues of relief. Consider talking to their manager as a third party who can help provide guidance or relief from the project overload or passive-aggressive behaviors. Your manager will be put on notice that you want to keep your job and that you aren't going to accept them quietly firing you.
Will they be happy? No, but you will have a sense of solace in knowing that you used all your resources to stay in a job or with a company you like. Sometimes, there are bad bosses, and it takes just one person to speak up to fix a workplace problem.
Now, if nothing is done after you've exhausted your resources, it may be time to consider seeking other employment. This can be frustrating, but at times, it's better to leave a toxic situation than to continually walk on eggshells or have anxiety every time you interact with your manager.