You Are Definitely About to Be Fired

You come to work — and they stop giving you tasks. Colleagues suddenly stop saying hello, and your boss publicly calls you "dead weight." You get buried under an impossible workload, then accused of "professional incompetence." Has this happened to you? Maybe you've witnessed it happening to others?

This isn't paranoia. This is a system for "pushing out" employees. According to Russia's Federal Labor Service, one in five workers faces pressure before termination. But only 3% go to court — the rest simply resign "voluntarily," losing money and reputation.

Why Companies Do This

But why would a company do this? It's simply profitable. Firing someone "for cause" exposes the employer to lawsuits and inspections, while "downsizing" requires legally mandated severance payments. But if the employee seemingly "left on their own" — the company can save anywhere from 2 to 10 monthly salaries per case.

Techniques Used to Push You Out

Driving an employee to resign isn't as simple as it might seem at first glance. Usually, the first conversation about an upcoming separation is assigned to HR. But these conversations don't always produce the desired result, so management and HR begin using specific manipulation techniques.

Five Key Pressure Tactics

• No work tasks — Your tasks are suddenly removed, you're excluded from important meetings. Projects are handed to other employees, and you're left watching them with nothing to do. Total meaninglessness of work.
• Emotional burnout — Constant baseless criticism, unfounded complaints about your work. Public criticism of your professional abilities.
• Enormous workload — A significant increase in tasks that you previously had nothing to do with. Emphasis on the employee's personal inefficiency.
• Outcast in the team — Colleagues are hinted that they shouldn't associate with you. Managers demonstratively ignore you.
• Creating anxiety — Sudden inspections appear, additional reports are demanded, your arguments are ignored.

What Should You Do?

If you notice these techniques, acknowledge the situation and analyze the reasons. Don't show your emotions to anyone, don't discuss the situation with colleagues.

1. Don't Give In to Provocations and Don't Write a "Voluntary" Resignation

Why is this important? Resigning "voluntarily" strips you of the right to any compensation (severance pay, payment for forced absence, etc.). The company saves money, and you lose protection.

What to do:

• No verbal agreements or arrangements. To any verbal demands to "write a resignation letter," respond: "I'm ready to consider an official offer from the company in writing."
• If they threaten to fire you "for cause," demand a written notice with specific complaints. Without documentary evidence, firing you is illegal.

Example dialogue:

— Nikolai, I haven't been happy with your results lately. You're not listening to me. Why don't you write a resignation letter yourself — I don't want to fire you for cause.

— Ivan Vasilievich, I don't understand why you didn't discuss my mistakes earlier?

— Nikolai, you're clearly not coping. I've already made my decision. Let's not complicate the situation. HR will help you fill out the form — the template is already in your email.

— Ivan Vasilievich, with all due respect, I will not write a voluntary resignation. Please provide a list of tasks I failed to complete, specifying deadlines and requirements. I'm ready to correct any shortcomings.

2. Document All Violations and Pressure

How to document:

• Email — Send all requests, complaints, and task changes via email with notes like "Taken into work" or "Please clarify priorities." You can't prove phone conversations.
• Chat screenshots — Save conversations in corporate messengers where you're being ignored, criticized, or stripped of tasks.

As a last resort, you can try recording conversations on a voice recorder without informing the other party. This does not violate Russian law if the conversation is strictly business-related (Supreme Court ruling of April 14, 2015, No. 33-KG15-6). And if you warn that recording is in progress, the tone of communication will change dramatically, making the recording pointless.

Example emails:

If tasks have been removed:

"Ivan Vasilievich, as of today I have not been included in the project. Please assign new tasks in accordance with my job description."

When workload is sharply increased:

"Ivan Vasilievich, please approve task priorities, as the current volume exceeds my capacity. Please specify which assignments require immediate completion and which can be done later."

3. Look for Options and Leave on Your Own Terms

Why you shouldn't rush:

• While you're officially employed, you have time to job-search without losing income.
• Quitting "into nothing" weakens your position in interviews with new employers.

Negotiate a Mutual Separation Agreement

If the conversation has turned to "mutual separation," demand compensation. These vary — sometimes companies offer genuinely large sums for mutual peace of mind and resolution.

Example negotiation:

— Nikolai, let's lower the temperature here. Elena Nikolaevna and I talked it over — let's part ways by mutual agreement with some compensation. Would that work?

— Ivan Vasilievich, I'm ready to consider an agreement if the company offers compensation equal to 3 months' salary. In my view, that would be fair.

4. Excessive Pressure? Push Back

If the pressure becomes unbearable and affects your mental or physical health, if the company delays salary payments or revises bonuses, you need to fight back.

Actions:

• Remind them of the law — Pull excerpts from the Labor Code and send them to HR or your manager, showing that the law is on your side.
• Formally request a clarification from HR — Even if they don't help, this creates a paper trail you can use in your favor.
• Contact the labor inspectorate — If your requests are ignored, notify HR of your intention to file a complaint with the labor inspectorate for a review of the legality of the company's actions.

Conclusion

This is an extremely difficult situation, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It's always important to balance protecting your rights with healthy pragmatism. Sometimes "selling" your departure at a higher price is wiser than fighting for months. But never give up without a fight — employers often back down when they see your readiness to defend your own interests.