Foregoing dramatic walkouts involving slammed desks and significant yelling, workers are “revenge quitting” in silence, walking off jobs abruptly without notice. Nearly half of US workers responding to a recent survey have admitted to revenge quitting, exiting their jobs without much planning, out of frustration over the circumstances at work. The rise of workers quitting abruptly in 2025 does come as somewhat of a surprise, considering the data that suggests that employees are largely job-hugging and clinging to their employment contracts for fear of what it means to step into the world of unemployment. However, when the growing frustrations of the workplace are considered altogether, it is clear that revenge quitting isn’t a trend born out of caution or consideration, but an impulsive need to show employers they still hold the cards.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT REVENGE QUITTING AND HOW CAN HR ADDRESS THIS TREND?
Revenge quitting isn’t a new phenomenon, but the consolidated effect of this trend is now gaining enough attention to make it a concern for businesses everywhere. Monster’s 2025 Revenge Quitting Report found that nearly 47% of US employees have admitted to walking out on their employer without notice, standing firmly against aspects like a toxic work culture or poor treatment on the job.
The survey also found that 57% of employees have seen their colleagues revenge quit without notice, with 87% standing in agreement that the decision to quit was well within reason. Most employees are aware of how their careers can be impacted by hopping from job to job, and they also understand that quitting on bad terms might hurt their future work prospects. Despite this awareness, workers who commit to revenge quit. The extreme decision to leave without preparations must be difficult on employees, but one that they likely feel cornered into.
It is also important to note that while revenge quitting may be a trend one might be inclined to attribute exclusively to impulsive new hires, this is not the case. Around 18% of those who admitted to revenge quitting did so after over two years at the organization, while 10% spent between one to two years. Another 9% of employees stayed for six to twelve months before quitting, and another 17% quit within six months.
The numbers suggest that revenge quitting isn’t solely a result of employees who enjoy job hopping, but instead suggest that employees
WHY ARE WORKERS REVENGE QUITTING?
The revenge quitting 2025 survey also dove into why workers were quitting in such a rush, and the data has a couple of different reasons to offer. While a small portion of workers admit to quitting over poor pay, around 32% of workers do so because of a toxic work culture where they feel disrespected at work. The nature of toxicity may vary from business to business, but work cultures that don’t provide a supportive or discrimination-free workplace likely fall in this category.
Additionally, 31% of workers said they gave in to revenge quitting due to poor leadership in the workplace, and a lack of faith in their ability to lead. Authentic leaders who lead with empathy and understanding are preferred by most employees, and when workers lose their faith in their leader, they often lose any hope for organizational growth as well.
In addition to culture and leadership, 23% of workers also admitted to quitting without notice due to a feeling of being undervalued within the organization. With businesses investing in AI and centering their energy on ways to replace employees with technology, this feeling is inevitable among workers. However, the lack of appreciation within the workplace is hard to pin exclusively on AI. Workers who don’t feel any sense of belongingness within the organization are unlikely to overstay their welcome and choose to leave instead.
HOW CAN YOU PREVENT REVENGE QUITTING?
Workers walking out without notice are likely doing so because of a lack of better options to address their concerns within the workplace, whether with regard to culture or leadership. The act stands out as a form of protest, clearly indicating where employees draw the line on their treatment in the workplace. The solution to prevent revenge quitting is simple enough: build employee engagement and foster workplace communication.
Not all of the problems that employees quit over can be resolved with just a conversation, however, an active attempt to understand the employee’s situation can provide the answers that are needed to address it.
YOU CAN TRY TO PREVENT REVENGE QUITTING BY:
- Creating clear pathways for employees to provide feedback
- Acknowledging and addressing the feedback regularly
- Fostering a culture that encourages discussion and communication
- Working actively on the company culture to keep it free of toxicity
- Ensuring employees are allowed a healthy work-life balance
- Working with employees to chart a career path for their future at the organization
- Interacting with employees and providing the resources they need to perform their jobs
- Rewarding success and progress made by employees
- Discussing policy changes and decisions with employees to bring them on board
- Providing leadership training to ensure that leaders can meet the needs of their posts
If your workers have already begun revenge quitting, it’s likely that those who remain are also thinking about it. It is important to stem the flow of workers contemplating an immediate exit by ensuring that they feel more secure and satisfied with their time on the job.
It can also be good to reach out to employees who have quit abruptly and understand their decision rather than reinforcing their conviction that they made the right choice. It may be too late to convince the worker to remain committed to the organization, but taking note of their concerns and frustrations can help end the association on a more positive note and ensure the trend stops with them.
Source – https://www.thehrdigest.com/what-can-you-do-about-employees-revenge-quitting-their-jobs/