We’ve had quiet quitting, presenteeism and the great resignation. Now revenge quitting is a new headache for human resource professionals, as organisations continue to grapple with high rates of disengagement in the workforce.
Unlike quiet quitting, which does not involve leaving an organisation at all, revenge quitting is a very public exit, with employees airing their grievances among co-workers and in some cases outside the organisation too. Some disgruntled workers have even taken to TikTok to vent, in a phenomenon known as QuitTok.
According to Jennifer Moss, author of Why Are We Here? Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants (HBR Press), revenge quitting is often a reaction to toxic cultures, unfair treatment and unaddressed burnout. She points to Mercer’s 2024 Global Talent Trends report which shows that 82 per cent of employees are at risk of burnout this year, while only 16 per cent of organisations say their company is actively addressing it.
“That gap is exactly why revenge quitting occurs,” says Moss. “Consider that the six root causes of burnout are: unsustainable workload; lack of control; insufficient rewards and recognition; poor community; unfairness; and values misalignment. When all of those are happening at once, people don’t plan their departures with respect and consideration; they quit with frustration and resentment.”
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Moss says research reveals a deep-seated psychological reason for revenge quitting.
“When we face our death – like we did collectively and globally from the pandemic – it triggers a psychological response that locks in our world views and changes our perception of time. Employees are less tolerant of wasting their time in places that deplete them. The question becomes, ‘If life is short, why should I put up with this?’ We query subconsciously, ‘Why am I here? What’s the point?’ That shift in mindset is real and powerful and it’s causing people to quit much faster and with less fear of repercussion.”
Mary Connaughton, director of CIPD Ireland, says disengagement has long been an issue in organisations and revenge quitting is just one of the latest manifestations.
“Occasionally it can be linked to personal issues as well as a response to dissatisfaction with the way the workplace is run,” she says. “There are more avenues now for people to be vocal and to look to cause tension when they leave, whether that’s through groups chats or via social media.”
Connaughton says employees should be cautious about airing their grievances too publicly: “Individuals need to guard their own reputations. It’s quite possible that a new prospective employer would hear about their behaviour and not be too impressed.”
One way in which disaffected employees have found that they can stick the knife into their former employer – with fewer repercussions for their own reputation – is to take to platforms such as Glassdoor, which allow individuals to post anonymous comments about workplace cultures and practices.
“One stray voice shouldn’t be a problem here, but if there’s a pattern of negative comments, that’s different, and organisations need to address it,” Connaughton advises.
One way in which organisations are trying to nip such problems in the bud is by investing more in line managers, she adds: “Often an employee’s perception of their employer is based on their specific experience in their unit and that may not be reflective of the whole organisation. We’re seeing an increased level of investment in line manager training and coaching as a response.”
Paul O’Donnell, chief executive of HRM Executive Search, says remote working has had a role in increased levels of disengagement, a factor inrevenge quitting and quiet quitting. Organisations have not thought through how they compensate for the informal interactions that take place in in-person settings, which help to oil the wheels of the workplace and drive purpose. Blanket calls for a full return to the office and the absence of a new strategy that recognises how things have changed since Covid are unlikely to work either, in his view.
Jennifer Moss agrees that organisations need a new post-Covid playbook.
“Start by addressing burnout at the root,” she advises. “Manage workloads, follow the data when it comes to policy decisions, be open to throwing out old frameworks and be humble enough to recognise that we are in a totally novel experience of work.
“We’re in an era of test, trial, iterate. No one really knows the formula yet so being agile and letting go of experiments that don’t work – that is what we need in leaders right now.”
As employees, there is never a good reason to revenge quit, regardless of grievances, says O’Donnell.
“It’s not proper career management. When you move on, that move should be positive and it should build upon your previous role. That’s not simply about references but also relationships in your sphere and it’s important for information sharing. Those that manage their career in that sort of political way are more successful than those who make off-the-cuffs decisions based on anger.”
