Tackling the rise of revenge quitting

Revenge quitting is where an employee suddenly and abruptly resigns without notice, such as by walking out mid-shift or mid-project, leaving businesses struggling to cover for them. It’s often the culmination of months (or even years) of frustration or dissatisfaction caused by such issues as long hours, overwork, a lack of recognition, poor management, a toxic work environment, perceived unfair treatment, etc. It’s more than just having a bad day. The employee is making a statement that they have had enough. So, what could you do to try and prevent it from happening? You can:

• foster open and honest communication - hold regular check-ins with staff, genuinely listen to any feedback received and address concerns raised, have an open-door policy and consider using anonymous or confidential feedback tools
• tackle any issues promptly, such as staff conflict, poor performance, misconduct, disengagement, changes in behaviour, etc. - early intervention can prevent problems snowballing
• tackle the risk of burnout through realistic workloads and flexible working options
• meaningfully recognise employees’ efforts and achievements
• provide clear career development paths and learning opportunities
• explain business decisions in a transparent way
• conduct exit interviews and use the opportunity to learn why staff are leaving and whether you need to make any changes.

Where a resignation is given in what appears to be the heat of the moment, you run the risk of an unfair dismissal claim if you are too quick to rely on it. You should objectively consider whether the resignation was really intended and conscious and rational. Allow a day or so as a cooling-off period and then ask the employee to confirm whether they genuinely intended to resign and, if they did, to put their resignation in writing.

If an employee resigns without notice, they are technically in breach of contract, unless they have grounds for a constructive dismissal claim. In theory, you could issue a claim in the civil courts for this breach, but this is often not worth your time and effort. Any additional costs you incur due to the breach, such as hiring an agency temp to cover the employee’s notice period, would be offset against what would have been their salary. Do also check their contract to see if there’s a clause enabling you to make a deduction from their final salary to compensate you for your actual loss in this circumstance. This clause must not constitute a penalty clause though.