What Is Silent Firing? The Latest Shift In Corporate Culture That Is Gaining Traction

The New York Post reports that 'silent firing' involves employers making job roles so challenging or conditions so unfavourable that employees voluntarily quit, paving way for AI-driven replacements

Silent Firing: Experts suggest this practice is linked to the rising fear among workers that AI may soon replace their roles, a shift some believe has already begun.

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Silent Firing: In recent years, the corporate landscape has been shaped by trends like the "great resignation," "quiet quitting," "moonlighting," and "rage applying." Now, a new trend called "silent firing" appears poised to reshape the employment industry, according to reports. Experts suggest this practice is linked to the rising fear among workers that artificial intelligence (AI) may soon replace their roles, a shift some believe has already begun.

The New York Post reports that "silent firing" involves employers making job roles so challenging or conditions so unfavourable that employees voluntarily quit, paving the way for AI-driven replacements. Notably, Amazon's insistence on returning to a five-day, in-office workweek, despite significant employee pushback, exemplifies this trend, according to George Kailas, CEO of Prospero.Ai and contributor to Fast Company. A survey cited by the Post revealed that 73 per cent of Amazon employees considered leaving the company due to this policy.

Kailas argues that despite evidence supporting productivity gains from remote work, Amazon's policies appear aimed at reducing staff without severance costs by discouraging remote work options. “The best way to decrease retention while saving on severance would be to remove remote work,” Kailas wrote, noting that the shift to AI is only in its early stages.

However, economist and MIT professor Daron Acemoglu cautions against overestimating AI's near-term impact. In an interview with Bloomberg, he asserted that only 5 per cent of jobs may realistically be replaced or supported by AI in the next decade. "A lot of money is going to get wasted," Acemoglu said. "You're not going to get an economic revolution out of that 5 per cent." He noted AI’s limitations in replicating complex human tasks, adding, “In most cases, they can’t.”

This tension over AI-fueled job replacement comes alongside another trend among Gen Z employees: the “Great Detachment,” which refers to declining engagement levels among younger workers. Gallup data indicates a 5 per cent decrease in engagement for Gen Z and younger millennials, while American Staffing Association CEO Richard Wahlquist reports that roughly 30 per cent of employees overall feel disengaged.

As these workplace trends collide, companies are facing mounting challenges in balancing productivity and employee satisfaction amidst rapid technological changes.