When I worked in retail, I had a colleague who would complain to the managers on a regular basis: the mirrors were dirty in the fitting rooms, the clothing racks were too full, and the people working in the warehouse were too slow preparing merchandise for the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t know exactly what the managers said in response, but it was something along the lines of, \u201cIf you don\u2019t like how things are done here, you can leave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To the managers, she was annoying as heck. And honestly, some of us found her frustrating too. But looking back, I know exactly why she complained: she cared\u2014a lot. She cared about the customers\u2019 experience. I know this because when the mirrors were dirty, she\u2019d rant and rant to anyone within earshot\u2014and then spend an hour scrubbing all of them until they shined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people complain just to complain. But others complain when they believe something should change. So the real warning sign is not always the employee who keeps bringing up problems. Sometimes it is the employee who suddenly stops<\/em>. And that\u2019s definitely something to worry about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some things employees often stop complaining about before they quit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (You can also check out Why Are Your Employees Quitting?<\/a> <\/em>and Tips for Reducing Turnover Before Your People Walk Out<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Employees usually complain about their workload while still trying to do the job well. They might warn you that a deadline is unrealistic, that their priorities conflict, or that the team needs more people in order to manage the workload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If nothing changes, they may eventually stop bringing it up. Not because the workload has suddenly become reasonable, but because they have accepted that you\u2019re not going to do anything about it. Some of them might even need stress leave or medical leave<\/p>\n\n\n\n An employee who complains about their workload may still be trying to fix the problem. An employee who stops complaining may have decided that the fatigue, stress, and overtime just aren\u2019t worth it anymore\u2014and that it\u2019s time to look for another job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Employees notice unfairness. They notice when some people get away with breaking certain rules, when the most reliable performers are rewarded with even more work, when promises are broken, and when complaints disappear into an abyss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first, they may ask questions or raise concerns. If those concerns are dismissed or explained away, they eventually learn that fairness is not really up for discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When employees stop pointing out unfairness, it may look like they have become easier to manage. In reality, they may have stopped expecting the organization to do the right thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t need to praise your team every time they answer an email or finish a routine task. But they do need to feel that their effort, reliability, and extra contributions are noticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When employees feel invisible, they may start by asking for feedback on their performance because they think they\u2019re doing something wrong. Others may ask for a raise because they know how hard they\u2019ve worked. If their performance and reliability have been rewarded with more<\/em> work, they may point out that their workload has increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If nothing changes and they stop bringing it up, they\u2019ll probably stop doing a lot of other things too. They may also stop going above and beyond. They may stop volunteering for tasks, stop fixing problems you didn\u2019t know needed fixing, and stop doing all the work that you didn\u2019t even know they took on in order to make your <\/em>job easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019re not being lazy. They\u2019re now matching their effort to what they get in return. And managers who say that \u201chard work is its own reward\u201d or that paying a salary is sufficient compensation are also the managers who are flabbergasted when their top performers leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a recent performance review, my friend, a team lead in her company, was told that her team\u2019s overtime hours were \u201cridiculous\u201d and that \u201csomething needed to change.\u201d It didn\u2019t matter that she had been asking management for months to hire more people because the workload was unsustainable. She was only told to tell her team to \u201cwork harder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you want to know what has changed since her review? Her team still works a lot of overtime, but now they work through their lunch breaks. She has taken on more work and goes in on weekends. When I last spoke to her, she had just worked 12 days straight. She knows this can\u2019t keep going on, but she\u2019s tired of complaining to management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Employees often complain about broken processes because they are trying to make the work better. They point out outdated systems, duplicate steps, lengthy approval times, or processes that just don\u2019t make sense anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If nothing changes, they may eventually stop bringing it up\u2014just like my friend has done. They accept that nobody is going to fix it and stop suggesting better ways to do the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That silence may look like acceptance, but it\u2019s actually disengagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Employees do not always quit jobs. Sometimes they quit people<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first, an employee may complain about a toxic manager\u2019s behavior. They may mention micromanagement, favoritism, rule-breaking, dismissive comments, unclear expectations, impossible standards, mood swings, or blame-shifting. The problem is that in some companies, employees may feel that HR protects management more than the staff they are meant to support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When these employees go silent and suddenly become polite but distant, that\u2019s a red flag. It may also mean that they will stop sharing their good ideas, stop doing extra work, stop doing overtime, and stop seeing management as deserving of their dedication and respect<\/p>\n\n\n\n When an employee stops complaining about a toxic manager<\/a>, it may mean they are no longer trying to fix the relationship. They are now just trying to survive it until they can leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n1. They stop complaining about their workload.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. They stop complaining about unfairness.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. They stop complaining about the lack of appreciation and recognition.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. They stop complaining about broken processes.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. They stop complaining about a toxic manager (or colleague).<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n