Gen Z is upping and quitting their jobs without any warning, but is taking a stand doing more harm than good to their precious careers?. The latest buzzword, 'revenge quitting', is a movement that sees workers making a statement. They're not just quitting, they're doing it with an impact and using their exit as a way to protest against workplaces they feel aren't prioritising their mental health. Set to be 2025's biggest career trend, people are fed up. Resentment has been building, and they are leaving abruptly with no warning—and it's happening mostly with younger people who want to teach their employers a lesson.
Young workers are leaving their jobs if they believe their workplace doesn't respect them and as mental health, work-life balance and having a career they are truly invested in are priorities for many Gen Z, is revenge quitting a good idea? Or is it having detrimental effects on people's resumes and impacting their chances of getting another job? We chat to careers expert Julia Symonds at outbloom on whether this trend is a good idea.
"'Revenge quitting' is when an employee resigns as a form of retaliation against their employer, motivated by frustration, anger, and burnout, rather than a strategic career move," she explained. "This is often an emotional decision, sometimes acted upon in the heat of the moment, fuelled by unfair treatment, lack of appreciation, and toxic work environments - but the timing can also be planned to be abrupt, to have the biggest negative impact on the workplace and the employer.".
It is within an employee's rights to resign, and this movement is done in a way that sends a bold message to an employer. Julia explained: "Walking away from a toxic workplace can be liberating, empowering, and have a big positive impact on your mental wellbeing - immediately freeing you from the stress and anxiety it caused. "Revenge quitting sends a message to your employer that the poor treatment you've been receiving is unacceptable, and could even empower other employers to do the same thing - this might force your employers to reflect on their behaviour and improve conditions for those who remain.".
But as empowering as revenge quitting can be, the expert said there are pros and cons to it. If you don't have another job lined up, it could put you in a difficult financial situation and, according to Julia, make it harder to find something new as "future employers might see your impulsive resignation as a red flag and question your reliability.". So for those considering a dramatic exit, Julia urged people to think carefully before making the decision and to think about the long-term consequences. She suggested speaking to management about the conditions, as well as ensuring you have a safety net to "fall back on".
She also asked: "Are you quitting out of anger in the moment, or is it really going to be the best thing for your mental health? If you're in a toxic environment, your wellbeing needs to come first, but make sure you think about your next steps carefully to avoid negatively impacting your career in the long run.". It comes as the younger generation has come under fire when it comes to their attitudes toward work. While it's no secret it's a tough time out there in the job market, many people are quick to blame Gen Z's lack of work ethic, arguing that they are showing up with no desire to work as a reason they are finding it so difficult to get employed.
Some people even slam their attire, but these stereotypes aren't accurate, according to Ed Fidoe, founder of London Interdisciplinary School, who said the generation's workplace woes are "not remotely Gen Z's fault." The founder told HuffPost that one of the biggest challenges young workers face is that many companies are simply not hiring at the moment, and many places feel they can "trim their graduate intake" even though they "regret it sort of four, five years later.".
Ed also noted that there is a "structural problem" in many companies currently, such as the impact AI has on graduate jobs. He said the typical 'low-level' research jobs typically given to some interns can now be easily by existing technology, but highlighted that internships are "crucial" if you want to stand out from the crowd when applying for roles in a busy job market. "We help broker our students to get internships every year, and... each year, it's become quite a lot harder to place them," the founder revealed. Ed also slammed universities for not helping prepare students for the "real world" and for not giving students "challenges" such as handing their coursework in on time. He said he thinks universities could "do a better job" setting expectations for students.
