What exactly does quiet cutting mean? “It happens when employers cut back on an employee’s workload, responsibilities, role, or compensation,” Monster career expert Vicki Salemi told me. “It’s essentially pushing them out the door—their downgraded role prompts them to quit on their own.”
The job search website just released a survey that finds 77% of workers have witnessed quiet cutting, with 58% saying they’ve personally been affected by it. The findings are based on a nationwide survey of 2,869 U.S. workers across industries.
A big reason for the surge in quiet cutting, Salemi explained, is that employees who quit, compared with those who are laid off, aren’t eligible for the same severance-related benefits.
Cutting such unnecessary expense leads to higher shareholder value and likely higher CEO compensation. A Win-Win!