In this brief guide, we will look at what you can do if you are being squeezed out at work, signs that your boss wants to fire you as well as signs that your boss wants you to stay, and what to do if you think that your boss is trying to get rid of you.
Being Squeezed out at Work? Here’s What to Do
Being squeezed out at work can be confusing and scary, especially if you have not considered working anywhere else, so the first thing you can do is start looking for alternatives just in case you actually are being squeezed out at work.
The major signs of being squeezed out at work include bad reviews and the boss being frequently and intensely critical of you, and even when this does not mean that you are being squeezed out at work, it can still never hurt to have some alternative options for work.
Another sign to look out for can be the Lopsided smiles and smirks that your superiors may pass at you. They are simply indicative of their evident disagreement with your work/you in general.
If you feel that you are being squeezed out at work, then you might have to have a heart-to-heart conversation with your boss because there is usually no other way around problematic situations at work other than to communicate with the people directly.
Another thing you can do is start looking for another job, and you may be feeling like you are being squeezed out at work because your supervisor has suddenly started putting pressure on you, in one way or another.
If you have alternatives ready and your finances in order, you can also get rid of the stress of being squeezed out at work by handing in your resignation letter and moving on to a better job that does not make you feel so unworthy and where people are willing to talk to you openly about the problems they have with you.
Having your finances in order is always important, but it is most important in cases where you feel squeezed out at work, because you never know when your savings may become the most important money source.
The reasons for why you are being squeezed out of work can vary as well, and it may often depend on the unique circumstances of the individual as well as the employers themselves.
Most people immediately assume that they are being squeezed out of work because they are not performing well enough, but it can also be simpler things.
Sometimes the act of squeezing someone out of work may stem from a personality clash with the person’s supervisor or they may have trouble with the way you do things rather than how well you do them.
Another factor can be age, and while it is not something many people would like to admit, being squeezed out at work happens too frequently in cases where ageism is a factor, as well.
Signs Your Boss Wants to Fire You
Feeling like you are being squeezed out at work is an unclear situation, so to make sense of these signals, here are some potential signs your boss wants to fire you:
Giving away your work
According to Monster, “Whenever a boss starts giving away tasks that you always do—or that they know you enjoy—without some type of explanation, they’re communicating that they either don’t value you or don’t trust you to do it anymore.”
Very often, your boss giving away your work may be a sign that they want to fire you, or just that they are definitely not entirely pleased with your work, and asking them what they would like you to do can often be a good start if you want to keep your job.
No Potential for Growth
If your employer shies away from giving you more responsibility it may mean that they plan to cut you lose, as they are unconsciously, or maybe even consciously, trying to indicate that you won’t be climbing up the corporate ladder.
Ketan Kapoor, the CEO, and co-founder of Mettl, explains this concept further, “Higher remuneration and position is one of the biggest factors that an employer provides an employee as an incentive to stay and continue growing.”
Lack of communication
Being left out of emails, meetings, and phone calls, your coworkers suddenly going silent around you, and a general air of being left out, can often mean that you might want to start looking for another job, just in case.
Moving you to another department
Often, being moved to a lesser position or to another department altogether can mean that your boss wants to fire you and is maybe hoping that you will take the hint.
Ketan Kapoor says about this possibility, “Many a time, your employer can try to merge your role with a different department or even make it obsolete.”
Your boss is micromanaging you
Supervisors who trust their employees let them do their job without analyzing their every and decision.
If your boss is hovering over your work, and they didn’t do that before, it may be another sign that they want to fire you.
Dele Lowman Smith, who is a career coach in Atlanta and routinely works with employers and employees in varying situations, explained, “If the criticism is nonspecific, excessive or focused on issues that have little importance, they may be more interested in seeing you leave.”
Rude comments
This one is self-explanatory, as rude comments or hurtful language means that the boss doesn’t care about what you feel or if you quit over the bad treatment.
No disciplinary process
Most of the time when someone is valued at a company, and they don’t make huge mistakes all the time, employers will have a disciplinary process in place to make sure you get back on track, which may not happen for people they want to fire or squeeze out.
Lowman Smith explained, “[It’s] a form of intimidation to make you feel insecure or stressed enough to start looking for a new job.”
If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.
Different treatment compared to colleagues
Blatant favoritism in the workplace is almost always a sign that your boss may want to fire you and if you notice that a colleague on the same level as you is suddenly getting a lot of praise and attention for something they are not doing or may not be doing well enough, it may mean that you are being squeezed out of work.
What do you do if you think that your boss is trying to fire you?
If you think that your boss is trying to fire you, here are some things you can do:
- Keep some options on the side, keep looking for other opportunities
- Keep your finances in order
- If there has been toxic work environment, look at legal options
- If you feel you’re being discriminated against in some way, that also gives you legal grounds.
- Talk to someone you are close to at work and try to find out what’s happening
- Keep a copy of everything you are working on
- Keep a copy of all communications
- Try to maintain a positive attitude and spend time on self-care because all the negativity may drain you and you need to pick yourself back up.
How to act if your boss wants to fire you?
If you think your boss is trying to fire you, here is how you can act to ensure that you can manage to keep working and reduce your stress:
- Be polite
- Be positive at work still
- Try not to give the boss negative glances or stare at them
- Be professional
- Don’t complain to coworkers
- Try to leave work at work when you come home and relax.
Signs your boss wants you to stay
Here are some signs that your boss wants you to stay:
- They frequently give you motivation
- They give positive performance reviews as well as point out places where you can be better.
- They like to hang out or work with you
- They are polite and professional with you
- They check in about your expectations at the company
- They ask how a project is going without micromanaging your work
- They care about your career growth
- They give the contract wise raises without hassles
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we looked at what you can do if you are being squeezed out at work, signs that your boss wants to fire you as well as signs that your boss wants you to stay, and what to do if you think that your boss is trying to get rid of you.
The feeling of being squeezed out at work can make anyone feel threatened and confused, not to mention insecure, and while there are ways to deal with it, the passive-aggressiveness of the act can be jolting.
If you feel that you are being squeezed out at work, try some things mentioned here to regain some sense of control and take some comfort in the fact that at least you are not receiving the news of your dismissal suddenly, which gives you time to prepare.
We hope that some of the tips and signs discussed here helped you out, and if you have any further questions or comments about being squeezed out at work, feel free to reach out to us.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Being Squeezed out at Work
How do you tell if you are being pushed out of your job?
Here are some signs that you are being pushed out of your job:
Reassignment to a lower position or a worse position somehow
Blatant favoritism towards someone who is in line for the same things you are
Low pay and no raises
Frequent poor reviews for no reason
Receiving tougher and tougher assignments or projects
Receiving grunt work that may not even be part of your position
Nobody asking or caring about your goals
What to do if you are being forced out of a job?
Here’s how you can know that you are being forced out of a job:
Figure out what legal options you may have if you do get forced out
Decide if you want the job badly enough
Avoid trying to get closure to end stress.
Negotiate about your situation
Be pragmatic about finances and make plans for the future
Prepare your cover story for future employers.
What do you do when you are being taken advantage of at work?
Here are some ways to deal with being taken advantage of at work:
Give more credit to others for things they are doing right
Be more compassionate to they realize what they are doing may be wrong
Set Boundaries and don’t let people cross them
Learn to deal with conflict effectively rather than avoid or give in
Learn better communication skills and employ them
How do you know if a work is toxic?
Here are some ways to know that your work place is toxic:
Your boss frequently likes to say that you are “lucky you have a job.”
Poor communication
Colleagues with a bad attitude.
Office drama is too common
Dysfunction is frequently seen
Your boss is tyrannical
You don’t see any potential for growth.
You feel like something is off all the time