What Is Revenge Quitting? Gen Z Driving New Career Trend

Employee satisfaction is rapidly decreasing, and employee resentment is rapidly rising. The Glassdoor Worklife Trends 2025 Report found that 65 percent of employees are feeling trapped in their current roles and employee satisfaction with career opportunities has dropped over the past two years across 10 industries.

As bitterness increases, employees are moving to leave jobs, which is nothing new. But what is new is how they're doing it. People aren't just quitting their jobs and leaving calmly. Instead, they're slamming the door on their way out. Enter: the revenge quitter.

What Is Revenge Quitting?

Revenge quitting is when employees who feel undervalued or frustrated leave their jobs in a way that is abrupt and designed to cause as much chaos and dismay as possible.

For example, if you worked in retail, you might quit during Christmas season, known for being the peak time for that sector. Or you might quit at the beginning of your shift, when the business is short-staffed, when many people are on leave or when multiple other people have quit.

As with the many new employment trends, it is largely being driven by Gen Z, as the younger generation's entry into the workforce has sparked major shifts in the discourse around approaches to work. Gen Z is made up of those between the ages of 13 and 28 and is expected to make up 30 percent of the workforce by 2030, according to Forbes. While some members of older generations dismiss their attitude as bratty, others find value in their push for a work-life balance.

To find out more about the revenge quitting trend, Newsweek spoke with Keri Mesropov the founder of Spring Talent Development, and Dr. Julie Lee, a psychologist and the copresident of the Harvard Alumni for Mental Health.

What Is Driving Gen Z's Revenge Quitting Trend?

"Gen Z has a fierce commitment to their personal values—values like transparency, ethical leadership, inclusion, well-being and social responsibility," Mesropov told Newsweek. "They aren't just passionate about them, but they expect their employers to uphold them, too. When they see misalignment or outright violations, they don't just shrug it off."

She continued that Gen Z hasn't had years of experience to "know how to productively bring their concerns forward and often their workplaces haven't set clear avenues for this. Without this clarity, frustration turns into resistance, and in extreme cases, that means a very public, very bold and loud exit."

Mesropov also said that Gen Z is pushing back on work norms.

"For decades, the corporate world has operated under a 'suck it up, shut up and do your job' mentality," she said. "Gen Z is rejecting that. They want a workplace that prioritizes mental health, work-life balance and genuine, open dialogue."

How Might This Impact Employers?

How should employers handle the revenge quitting trend? For Lee, the heart of the solution is the relationship between Gen Z employees, and their managers.

"I believe the manager-Gen Z-employee relationship is one of the most critical factors in preventing or mitigating the risk of 'revenge quitting,'" she said.

"Burnout has been the leading case of 'revenge quitting' and managers are in a unique position to assess and address how each employee. Burnout is a major problem for Gen Z; according to a 2024 survey from UKG, 83 percent of Gen Z employees were struggling with burnout, and more than one-third said they'd quit their job because of negative impacts on their well-being.

"Research and polls have shown that a well-structured and regular check-in facilitated by a manager can play a pivotal role in engaging and supporting Gen Z and other employees," Lee said.

What Does the Trend Reflect About Gen Z?

Mesropov highlighted a key difference in Gen Z's attitude to work and said that for them, "Work is meant to support a full life, not consume it."

"Unlike previous generations, who often prioritized work and career above all else, Gen Z is unwilling to accept workplaces that conflict with their values or well-being," she said.

"Revenge quitting is, at its core, a form of protest. It's an emphatic 'I'm not going to take this' moment. For the Gen Zer, it's not just about leaving a job, but about making a statement, calling for better treatment and insisting on a healthier, more values-driven work environment."

So, what can be learned from this trend? Mesropov said that we need to not look at this as an entitled generation behaving impulsively.

"Let's see severe actions like revenge quitting as a cry for change," she said. "Gen Z wants those of us who have come before them to do better, and benefit from change alongside them."

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