General
quiet cutting
What does quiet cutting mean?
A workplace strategy where employers move employees into different, often less desirable roles rather than laying them off directly. It is a subtler alternative to firing that can pressure workers to quit.
"Quiet cutting hit the marketing team hard: nobody was fired, but three people got demoted into dead-end roles."
Origin
Entered workplace vocabulary in 2023; has a Wikipedia entry documenting the trend.
Frequently asked questions
What is 'quiet cutting'?
It's moving employees into different, often worse roles instead of laying them off directly, a subtler alternative to firing.
How is quiet cutting different from quiet firing?
Quiet cutting specifically reassigns or demotes workers into less desirable roles, whereas quiet firing degrades the existing role to push someone out.
Where does 'quiet cutting' come from?
It entered workplace vocabulary in 2023 and has a Wikipedia entry documenting the trend.
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