SINGAPORE: Revenge quitting is on the rise. Employees are leaving in the middle of busy periods, sabotaging work outputs, deleting files, posting harsh Glassdoor reviews, and publicly calling out bosses on social media.
According to career experts, this is an act of defiance, a form of “payback” meant to show that workers have been pushed beyond their limits.
What drives revenge quitting?
Toxic workplaces
Global employment website Monster’s report shows that most employees who engage in revenge quitting do so because of toxic work environments, poor management, or feeling disrespected and undervalued.
Other factors include unmet promises, limited career growth, poor work-life balance, and low pay or inadequate benefits.
Although these problems may seem common, the report notes that most employees (18%) put up with them for more than two years before deciding to quit.
Gen Z and social media
James Reed, chairman and CEO of the Reed Group, and the insurance firm Lockton say that the growing presence of Gen Z in the workforce, combined with the influence of social media, has helped drive this trend.
Gen Z employees, as is widely known, are more vocal about their experiences online and are not afraid to challenge toxic workplace norms.
In December 2025, for example, a young communications graduate took to TikTok to criticise her boss after receiving a lengthy email that said, ‘I believe we have different visions, and if you want to leave, you should leave!’
The email came after the boss asked for feedback, to which she responded with honest suggestions on how the company could operate more efficiently.
Better job market
Even though finding a job can still be tough in some countries, workers today feel more empowered because there are more online and remote opportunities.
This means they know they can leave a toxic or demanding job and still find something else, even in a different industry.
Lack of purpose
When employees don’t understand how their job makes a difference, aren’t included in decisions, or don’t have the support they need, motivation drops.
According to global leadership firm Development Dimensions International (DDI), high-performing employees are nearly five times more likely to quit within a year if they don’t feel their work has a clear purpose.
Who is mostly engaging in revenge quitting?
A 2025 Glassdoor report found that Gen Z employees are the most likely to engage in revenge quitting, with about 1 in 10 admitting they deliberately tampered with company files before leaving.
The tech industry may also be vulnerable. Flowchainsensei reported that 11% of IT professionals planned to engage in revenge quitting in 2025.
One striking example comes from Matt Collingwood of VIQU IT Recruitment, who shared on LinkedIn a case in which an IT employee, during their final week, deliberately reconfigured DNS settings, locked user accounts, moved sensitive data offsite, and even unplugged critical hardware.
According to Collingwood, these actions caused the company’s systems to crash.
The police were later called, and a legal case was filed against the employee.
Damage to businesses
Sudden resignations can disrupt ongoing projects, lower the company’s morale, and increase the workload for remaining staff, which may, in turn, trigger more resignations.
Additionally, if employees post negative reviews about the company on job review sites like Glassdoor or online forums like Reddit, or video-sharing platforms like TikTok, it can damage the company’s reputation and make hiring new talent more challenging.
There’s also the issue of knowledge loss. If an employee abruptly quits without sharing their expertise, the team left behind may struggle, make mistakes, and face delays.
How employers can prevent this
Monster’s report states that employers can reduce the risk of revenge quitting by training managers to have more empathy for their staff members and creating a “safe and respectful workplace.”
They could also recognise and reward employees’ contributions, increase their pay, or offer career growth opportunities.
Read also: Milestone anxiety: Singaporean man living on S$700 a month struggles while peers move ahead
