Signs Your Boss Is 'Managing You Out' And What to Do, According to Experts

The practice of 'quiet quitting' has been gaining a lot of traction recently and involves an employee taking a softer approach to leaving a job. The worker stops going above and beyond in their role when it appears they are not getting fair recognition.

There is, however, a similar technique used by the employer known as 'managing out'. It is a much more sinister method for pushing members of staff to quit by making their lives as unpleasant as legally possible.

Employees are protected by certain employment laws that should prevent them from being dismissed from their position just because management doesn't like them. So, the legal process of firing someone can take some time.

With this in mind, some employers have taken to making their employees' daily lives a living hell, in the hope that they will simply quit. However, it's far more subtle than outright bullying, and individual acts may appear legal, so it's much harder to prove.

Jayne Sinclair of Julian Taylor HR Solicitors and Madeline Mann, the career coach and founder of Self Made Millennial, told Newsweek about how to recognize the practice, prove it, and thrive.

What Is Managing Out?

We've all had nightmare bosses, those ones that seem to always bring their personal problems into the office and make them your problems. However, what if your boss was intentionally making your life hell so that you go ahead and quit your job?

"The term refers to when a manager makes an employee's life so unpleasant, they decide to resign," says Sinclair. "A manager might create a hostile environment such that an employee feels they have no option to leave."

Also known as 'quiet firing', this may look like being taken off key projects, being excluded from meetings or having your responsibilities delegated to others.

"Even though this manager hired you, they may have a change of heart in your ability to do the job, or they may just dislike you or feel threatened," said Mann. "This is usually due to changing needs of the business, an overestimation of your skills during the interview process, or a personality mismatch."

Why Don't They Just Fire Me?

Under the law in most states in the U.S., if an employee has no employment contract, workers are employed on what's known as an 'at-will' basis. This means that employers retain the right to fire their staff at any time for no reason at all, and workers have the right to leave at any time.

If, however, you have a contract, then the firing process is far more complex.

"The ease of dismissing an employee depends, to some extent, on an employee's length of service," said Sinclair. "The manager needs to have a legal reason to do so, not just a feeling or dislike. They also need to follow proper legal procedures, which can take time and money."

Managers are often not well equipped to have difficult conversations and prefer the more cowardly and unprofessional tactic of 'managing out'. "Dismissal is often seen as a negative process, hence the reaction of some managers to slowly 'manage out' an employee rather than deal with the situation appropriately," said Sinclair.

The main point here is that managing out is illegal, and it's a snide way of an insecure manager shirking their responsibilities.

"If a manager has concerns over an employee's performance, behaviour or suitability for a role, it should be addressed through the normal channels–performance management process or disciplinary process," said Sinclair.

What Does Managing Out Look Like?

If you sense something is going on in your place of work, you might have experienced any of the following: being consistently overlooked for a pay rise or promotion; being excluded from meetings; micromanaging; unrealistic targets or deadlines; or having your responsibilities reduced.

"These are just a few of the signs that 'managing out' could be happening," said Sinclair. "Often, an employee gets the sense that they are not being given a fair chance and are being set up to fail: for example, being given a target which you know is unrealistic but your manager makes you feel incompetent when you don't achieve it."

What Can I Do?

If you notice any of these behaviors occurring in your place of work, Mann recommends "quiet job searching," subtly looking for another post while reducing your output in your current one.

"You may choose to take action against your manager by going to Human Resources or other leaders, but that is unfortunately often fruitless and ill advised," Mann said. "If you are looking to recover from this situation, you can put time on your manager's calendar to discuss your performance. They may be poor at giving feedback, so ask good questions so that you can understand their expectations and hopefully turn the situation around, if that's what you want."

Often, an employee that is essentially being bullied in a company feels unable to directly bring up issues like these due to a power imbalance. "They could speak informally to another manager or HR and ask for it to be addressed and an outcome provided," said Sinclair. "If things don't improve, they can raise a formal grievance. Ultimately, they can resign and consider a claim for constructive dismissal."

Often, it is very hard for an employee to prove that any of this is happening, which can be incredibly stressful. "Keeping a record of events, conversations and behaviors will help build a picture over time, and bullying accusations can be raised in a grievance," said Sinclair.

If the situation is extreme enough that talking to a senior member of staff or human resources isn't an option, there are a number of practical options available, Sinclair added.

"Continue working while looking for alternative employment; resign and consider making a claim for constructive dismissal; or have a 'open and honest' talk with a senior manager. Sometimes, this may lead to a mutually agreed departure via a settlement agreement," Sinclair said.

If you have exhausted all the options and quitting seems like the only option left, push for an exit interview.

"Many businesses carry out exit interviews to gain a sense of the reasons for resignations and how they can improve," said Sinclair. "This is an opportunity for employees to notify businesses of the issues and concerns they have. Also, simply advising the business in their resignation letter or speaking with HR before they leave and keeping a record of the conversation."

Have you had a workplace dilemma? Let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.