How to Combat “Quiet Cutting” in New York State

Thanks to social media, most of us have an idea of what "quiet quitting" is, but what about "quiet cutting?" This workplace practice can be disastrous for your well-being, and here is how you can spot it.

Before We Get to "Quiet Cutting," What is "Quiet Quitting?"

Quiet quitting is when employees continue to put in the minimum amount of effort to keep their jobs, but don't go the extra mile for their employer. This might mean not speaking up in meetings, not volunteering for tasks, and refusing to work overtime. It might also result in greater absenteeism.

In short, quiet quitting can just boil down to doing the job that you are paid to do, and that's it. Many workers have felt like they have been exploited for their actions, and would rather use their energy in a way that best benefits them. Sure, when you disregard your responsibilities, that's not good. If you're still maintaining all your basic job requirements, then you're fine. Quiet quitting is when employees choose to use their energy for passions outside of the workplace.

Alright, So What is "Quiet Cutting" Now?

So, honestly, quiet quitting isn't all that bad. Employers may not appreciate the fact that you are not going above and beyond your job title and requirements, but if you're effectively meeting the requirements of your position, there isn't anything wrong. Quiet cutting; on the other hand, can look very bad for the employee.

Quiet cutting — an attempt by employers to push certain employees to quit rather than firing them — is becoming increasingly common, according to a recent ZipRecruiter survey. Quiet cutting is a passive-aggressive way for employers to get employees to resign by gradually reducing their responsibilities and downgrading their roles. The goal is to make employees unhappy and reduce the costs of job cuts.

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This can be a very sneaky way of handling a forced resignation. A forced resignation is when an employee quits their position of employment as a result of pressure from managers, supervisors or members of a board. Unlike a traditional resignation, where an employee volunteers to give up their employment, forced resignations are involuntary. A forced resignation is legal in many states, especially those with at-will employment laws, while it can have legal implications in others.

Some reasons why a job may try to force you to resign might be:

• Performance issues
• Redundancy in the workforce
• Budgetary constraints
• Disciplinary issues
• Office politics

Why might your job try to make you leave rather than firing you? Well, if a company is seen firing a number of their employees, it may not be a good look. This could show weakness in a company, and can look bad to stock holders, investors, clients, and potential new employees. Depending on your situation, these are some reasons why a company may quiet cut:

• They want to protect their reputation and brand image, so they avoid negative publicity associated with mass layoffs.

• They want to reduce legal risks like discrimination lawsuits that come with public layoffs.

• They want to control the narrative by managing the optics of workforce reductions - it’s easier when it’s individuals vs. groups.

Also consider, you are not eligible for unemployment benefits unless you are fired from a job. If you choose to resign and your company does not to offer you a severance package, this leaves you with no income while you begin to look for a new job.

Here are some of the top signs you are being "quiet cut"

• You've been reassigned to a worse and less desirable position. The ZipRecruiter survey found that this is an effective way to cut workers — of those reassigned in 2023, 59% quit. Even those who didn’t take the bait eventually lost their jobs — 9% were later fired and 7% were laid off.
• You experience excessive micromanagement. This could signal a lack of trust and attempt to create a hostile, demotivating and unpleasant work environment for you.
• There is no plan for career advancement. If your employer meets any discussion of career growth with a lack of enthusiasm or by dodging the conversation, there probably isn't much hope of long-term retention. That, or if vague promises of growth are dangled over your head but are never met, this may be a sign you are being quiet cut.
• If you're being excluded from important meetings, projects, or social gatherings. If you constantly find out about things after the fact and are never queued in on what's going on, this could be a sign that you are no longer being invested in.
• If you find that you are being met with unrealistic expectations that are practically impossible to meet, your job may not be just trying to challenge you, they may be trying to get you to leave.

While these may all be signs you are being “quiet cut,” it’s important to not make any assumptions and to begin an open dialogue with your manager. Even if you were being “quiet cut,” Nasdaq says you may be able to turn things around by asking for honest feedback and making performance improvements.

Is Quiet Cutting Legal in New York

Unfortunately, yes it is. Reductions in force are sometimes necessary yet never easy. However, when organizations prioritize transparency and respect, they can impact the extent to which they can protect employee and public trust instead of destroying it.