The corporate world has seen many trends, including the Great Resignation, quiet quitting, and rage applying. However, a new trend, ‘silent firing’, is now gaining traction. As workers worry about AI eventually replacing their roles, some experts suggest it’s already happening. According to the New York Post, ‘silent firing’ occurs when companies make roles so difficult that employees resign, allowing their positions to be filled by AI.
Also Read: ‘Firing Is Fun!’: Tech CEO Trains Managers To Let Employees Go
Amazon’s Return-to-Office Policy: A Silent Firing Tactic?
Amazon’s decision to enforce a five-day in-office work week—despite employee dissatisfaction—is an example of this trend, explains George Kailas, CEO of Prospero.Ai. He argues that enforcing in-office attendance is a way to ‘silent fire’ workers, as it ‘decreases retention while saving on severance’. In fact, a survey cited by The Post revealed that 73% of employees considered quitting due to these policies.
Mixed Predictions on AI’s Job Impact
MIT economist Daron Acemoglu presents a different outlook, predicting that only 5% of jobs may be replaced or assisted by AI in the next decade.
Speaking with Bloomberg, he said, “A lot of money is going to get wasted. You’re not going to get an economic revolution out of that 5%.” Acemoglu argues that AI lacks the accuracy and reliability needed to replace the complex tasks humans perform, adding, “They can do that in a few places with some human supervisory oversight … but in most places they cannot.”
Gen Z’s Great Detachment
In addition to silent firing, another trend fueled by Gen Z dissatisfaction is emerging, known as the “Great Detachment.” This trend refers to a decline in employee engagement. According to Gallup, engagement among Gen Z and young millennials dropped by 5%, and American Staffing Association CEO Richard Wahlquist revealed to Business Insider that three in 10 employees are not actively engaged at work.
