Silent Quitting vs. Quiet Firing: Analysing the Psychological Contract Breach (Employer/Employee PoV)

DAY ONE

Understanding the Phenomena “Silient Quitting Vs Quiet Firing”

• Defining the concepts:
• Silent quitting: Performing minimum requirements without psychological investment
• Quiet firing: Subtle managerial behaviors that marginalize employees
• “Spot the Signals” (burnout, disengagement, constructive dismissal)

The Psychological Contract Framework

• The psychological contract theory
• Types of psychological contracts:
• Transactional vs. relational contracts,
• Explicit vs. implicit expectations
• The breach and violation process:
• Triggers and cognitive appraisal
• Emotional responses
• Behavioral outcomes

 

• Case study analysis: Identifying contract breaches in real scenarios
• Group discussion: Unwritten expectations (Employer/Employee PoV

 

Root Causes and Contributing Factors

Organizational factors:

• Leadership styles and their impact
• Compensation and recognition systems
• Career development opportunities
• Work-life balance/integration policies
• Organizational culture and values

Individual factors:

• Generational differences in work expectations
• Career stage and life circumstances
• Personality traits and work styles
• Prior psychological contract experiences

Exercise: Root cause analysis mapping

 

DAY TWO

Organizational Impact Assessment

• Productivity and performance consequences
• Financial impacts:
• Replacement costs
• Lost productivity
• Knowledge drain
• Legal implications
• Implications on organizational Culture and Staff morale
• Impact on employer brand and talent acquisition

Prevention Strategies – Employer Perspective

• Creating psychological safety
• Transparent communication practices
• Expectation setting and management
• Regular contract “renegotiation” conversations
• Effective feedback mechanisms
• Recognition and growth opportunities
• Leadership development for contract maintenance
• Designing a psychological contract management system

Intervention Approaches – When Breach Occurs

• Early detection systems and metrics
• Repair strategies:
• Rebuilding trust through consistent actions
• Re-engagement interventions
• Restoring equity perceptions

Building Resilient Psychological Contracts

• Organizational policy review and redesign
• Creating contract-conscious leadership
• Employee empowerment and advocacy
• Building adaptive capacity for changing expectations
• Monitoring systems and feedback loops
• Industry best practices and success stories
• Implementing contract-strengthening initiatives