6 Low-Key Signs Layoffs Are Happening Soon At Your Company
fizkes | Shutterstock It's no secret that the job market isn't great, despite how many politicians deny it (or how many times the president tries to fire the people who report the bad job numbers). Everyone knows someone who's jobless right now, if they're not jobless themselves.
And there seems to be an increasing number of sneaky schemes in the working world to disguise all this (and make it easier to gaslight everyone into believing the economy is fine). From ghost jobs to firing people and refilling their positions with lower-paid workers, businesses seem to be pulling out all the stops. Now, yet another new trend has emerged: "quiet layoffs."
First, there was "quiet quitting," doing the bare minimum at a job and not a thing more, rather than standing up and walking out. Now, apparently, the trend is moving in the other direction with "quiet layoffs."
Research from Careerminds has found that this trend is growing fast. So what the heck is a "quiet layoff?" It's a steadily escalating list of small changes that often go unnoticed on their own. But add them up, and they become a sort of "death by a thousand cuts," designed to push you to quit.
That way, HR and your employer don't have to deal with any legal issues, severance packages, the costs of you drawing unemployment, or the bad PR of laying people off. "Quiet layoffs are rarely labeled as such, but they’re deeply disruptive,” said Raymond Lee, President at Careerminds. “They often create a culture of fear and instability, and ultimately harm morale, productivity, and brand reputation."
So how can you tell if you're being manipulated in this way? Lee and his team identified five key changes that tend to happen in a workplace or to a person's job that indicate the powers that be are trying to make you so miserable you'll quit.
Here are low-key signs layoffs are happening soon at your company:
1. Sudden shifts in workload
If you notice your work being reassigned to others or your calendar suddenly gets really light, take it seriously. "Employers may reduce responsibilities to slowly push employees out or make them feel redundant," Lee said. Likewise, you may suddenly find yourself buried in more work to make you say "forget this" and resign, often because others have quit and there's no intention of refilling their roles.
2. Promotion and raise freezes
If career progression suddenly hits a major roadblock, it's usually a bad sign. Annual raises, bonuses, or promotions being put indefinitely "on hold" is a clue, especially if there's no clarity on why— for instance, an explanation about business seasons for the belt-tightening.
3. Exclusion from meetings or communications
If you're suddenly being left out of the loop on key decisions, strategic discussions, team-planning sessions, or other vital communications, it may be an intentional effort to distance you and diminish your ability to influence or contribute to your team. In short, you're being phased out.
4. Sudden increase in performance improvement plans (PIPs)
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If you notice a lot of your colleagues suddenly getting PIPs, it's likely not a coincidence. PIPs are frequently used for legitimate purposes, of course. But they are just as (if not more) often used to build a paper trail to justify giving someone the axe or push back against claims that an employee was essentially forced to quit, say, because of a "hostile work environment." Lee said you should take particular notice if high performers are put on PIPs. "That's a strong red flag" that they're trying to shove people out the door.
5. Reluctance to backfill roles
Backfilling is the process of HR, recruiting, and management teams hiring replacements for a vacated role. If you notice a lot of people quitting and then their positions sitting empty (perhaps because their work is being dumped on you, as discussed in item number one), it's likely because the company is trying to downsize without drawing attention to it.
6. Subtle, vague signals from leadership
"Pay attention to vague, sanitized language from stakeholders," Lee said, noting examples like "realigning resources," "streamlining operations," or "shifting priorities." These aren't just jargon; they're signs that the company is making changes. Silence is just as revealing: "Leadership’s avoidance of clear answers about the future is often a signal in itself," Lee said.
"Being alert to these signs can empower employees to take control before they’re caught off guard," he added, urging workers to take it as a signal to polish their resumes, build connections, and reach out to career coaches or headhunters. "Taking action early can make all the difference when navigating uncertain times at work."
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.
