Yet another workplace buzzword has emerged, with Glassdoor’s Worklife Trends 2025 report warning that companies face a wave of “revenge quitting” in the year ahead.
Revenge quitting refers to abrupt and often dramatic resignations by disillusioned employees. This is sometimes be accompanied by retaliatory action, such as deleting sensitive company data or conducting an IT attack.
This risk was highlighted recently by the alleged actions of a former British Museum employee. In January, the museum was forced close briefly following an IT attack that shut down some of its network. The museum claims that a former contractor, who had been dismissed a week earlier, entered the building and tampered with several systems before being caught.
The BBC reported that a man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of burglary and criminal damage and has since been bailed.
Revenge quitting may sound like just another buzzword to be filed alongside quiet quitting and rage applying, but the British Museum incident highlights the risks that disgruntled former employees can pose to businesses.
Growing employee discontent
This trend is a result of wider workplace issues, such as growing employee disengagement, according to Daniel Zhao, lead economist at Glassdoor.
“That angst is founded in the stagnation that many workers are feeling in their careers right now as hiring slows,” he says. “Workers are grappling with the consequences of this stagnation and finding ways to circumvent it, while managers and leaders are looking for ways to engage workers in this new era.”
That angst is founded in the stagnation that many workers are feeling in their careers
The Glassdoor report found that 65% of professionals feel stuck in their current roles. This can lead to pent-up resentment, which risks leading to retributive action, should an employee be dismissed or decide to quit.
Palo Alto Networks, a cybersecurity firm, estimates that three-quarters of insider attacks, which can involve stealing sensitive data, sabotaging IT systems or installing malware, are carried out by aggrieved ex-employees.
One way to guard against such attacks is to establish robust offboarding processes. HR must ensure that access to company systems or sensitive data is promptly revoked once a staff member leaves the business. They should also conduct an exit interview, which provides outgoing employees the opportunity to vent any frustrations before leaving.
But it’s also important to address the underlying causes of employee dissatisfaction and low engagement. Companies that prioritise employee growth, development and retention are less likely to become targets of revenge quitters.
Yet another workplace buzzword has emerged, with Glassdoor’s Worklife Trends 2025 report warning that companies face a wave of “revenge quitting” in the year ahead.
Revenge quitting refers to abrupt and often dramatic resignations by disillusioned employees. This is sometimes be accompanied by retaliatory action, such as deleting sensitive company data or conducting an IT attack.
This risk was highlighted recently by the alleged actions of a former British Museum employee. In January, the museum was forced close briefly following an IT attack that shut down some of its network. The museum claims that a former contractor, who had been dismissed a week earlier, entered the building and tampered with several systems before being caught.