Employee rights when pressured to resign or fired “quietly”

Interview Summary

The concept of ‘quiet quitting’ has become a phenomenon with many employees choosing new ways to cope with burnout and a growing workload. But what is “quiet firing”? Can employers be held to employment laws and employee entitlements if an employee is influenced to resign on their own?

Alex Lucifero, an Ottawa employment lawyer and Managing Partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP spoke with Matt Skube at CTV News Ottawa to discuss the potential legal consequences of ‘quiet quitting’ and ‘quiet firing’.

Interview Notes

• Pressured to quit by an employer: Resigning from a position has to be a voluntary act and the employee has to come to the decision on their own. Forced firing or ‘quiet firing’ is illegal and is considered to be a termination. This is conducted by employers in many ways.
• Awareness for employees who are being pressured to resign: Employees who have had the terms of their jobs changed by their employer i.e. a new sales quota with unreasonable standards, a major reduction in hours, etc. A major change to the terms of employment without the consent of an employee is considered constructive dismissal.
• Next steps for those ‘quietly terminated’: Employees should not feel that they can be forced into accepting a change by their employer. Doubts about employment rights can be aided by contacting an employment lawyer and seeking legal advice.