Companies worldwide are facing a new employment trend, as 2026 has been dubbed the year of ‘revenge quitting’.
This term refers to when employees are so unhappy with a company’s environment that they decide to leave on the spot, without giving any notice.
This trend follows the footsteps of recent career phenomena such as ‘quiet-quitting’, where employees perform only the minimum required, and ‘loud-quitting’, which involves a very public resignation often paired with criticisms of the workplace.
A report by the job board Monster reveals that nearly half of U.S. workers have engaged in ‘revenge-quitting’ recently, choosing to leave their jobs abruptly and without notice.
Interestingly, it’s not just the younger workforce taking this step; many experienced employees, some with over two years at the same company, have also decided to walk away after reaching their limit.
This movement largely arises from dissatisfaction with toxic workplaces, often due to issues with management, excessive working hours, or overwhelming workloads.
“Sudden resignations aren’t just individual exits, they’re warning signals flashing across workplace culture,” says Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster. “When workers walk out without notice, it’s often because they’ve lost trust in leadership or feel their voices aren’t heard.”
The report identifies toxic workplaces, poor management, and feeling undervalued as the primary reasons why employees might choose to leave immediately, with only 4% citing salary as the issue.
While taking control over one’s career is understandable, about 60% of U.S. employees have experienced the additional workload left behind by colleagues who have ‘revenge quit’.
This sudden departure can cause projects to stall, create a hurried effort to fill roles, and significantly lower team morale, perpetuating the toxic environments that inspired resignations initially.
Despite the disruption, 90% of U.S. employees indicated they would support a colleague who ‘revenge quits’ if it’s due to a poor work environment.
To avoid such situations, companies are encouraged to maintain a positive work culture, provide accessible management, and actively listen to and address employee concerns.
The report also advises having a clear career advancement pathway to help employees grow professionally while recognizing their skills and contributions.
Ensuring fair, competitive compensation is another essential step for retaining employees.
“In today’s competitive job market, addressing these issues proactively could mean the difference between losing talent suddenly—or building a loyal, long-term workforce,” the report concluded.
Emily Button-Lynham, founder of EBC, a coaching consultancy, shared with Harper’s Bazaar that it’s crucial not to make rushed, emotionally-driven decisions.
She advised: “I always advise my clients to spend time assessing if leaving their job is the only option. A helpful exercise can be to ask what success means to you, and to explore the future life you want to be living and how the work you do now can elevate you to that.”
She also recommends considering what might motivate you to remain, such as increased responsibilities, flexibility, better pay, or acknowledgement, and then having a candid discussion with your employer about what’s feasible in your current role.