On Adam’s last day, he recorded a TikTok video walking through his employer’s facility, pointing out every OSHA violation. The video amassed millions of views, prompting an investigation and hefty fines for the company.

Maggie managed her company’s social media accounts. After a heated argument with her boss, she changed all the account passwords and quit. The company’s online presence froze overnight and attempts to reset the accounts revealed Maria had tied them to her personal email.

After being berated by his manager too many times, Sam quit during a staff meeting. Before leaving, he sent out an email blast to the company’s most important clients, listing every unethical practice he had witnessed.

Heather worked in a small boutique firm. Her boss allowed her to take frequent personal day—even entire weeks off—to deal with family matters. When Heather decided to leave, she deleted the records showing she’d worked a part-time schedule for full-time pay and filed a lawsuit claiming she had worked excessive unpaid overtime. She used her lawsuit to pressure her former boss into letting her steal reams of proprietary material so she could set up a rival company.

Raj, an IT technician, hated his employer. On his last day, he deleted a series of crucial files, claiming they were no longer necessary. A week later, when the company scrambled to recover them, they discovered the backups were mysteriously corrupted.

Nancy handled payroll. On her last day, she “accidentally” deleted the master payroll file. Employees didn’t get paid on time. Nancy claimed it was an honest mistake, but her smirk during the exit interview told another story.

Revenge quitting—abrupt resignations paired with destructive behaviors—has become the latest workplace trend, and the damage is real. A 2024 survey of 2,300 employees reports that that nearly one out of every six employees had witnessed a coworker deliberately alter crucial employer data prior to quitting. One in ten of those surveyed admitted to destroying files themselves before leaving.

Why the surge in revenge quitting? Experts point to a cocktail of rising workloads, difficult managers, and unpopular return-to-office mandates. Many angry employees see revenge quitting as a tool for sending a message or “getting even;” some, like Heather, are opportunists.

How employers can respond

Spot warning signs and red flags among employees.

Disengagement doesn’t happen in a day. Employees telegraph their dissatisfaction through missed deadlines, lack of collaboration, and waning motivation. Leaders must tune in before frustrations explode. missed deadlines. Employers need to stay tuned to what’s going on with their employees. As highlighted in Managing for Accountability’s chapter 8, top executives need to step outside their leadership bubble and discover what they don’t hear or see when they live in the good-news cocoon that dilutes bad news.

Build trust and engagement.

Leadership starts with action. Employers need to rebuild trust with employees by keeping their word. When employers promise employees growth opportunities and professional development, they need to deliver.

Business owners and managers need to show they’re genuinely interested in their employees. They can do this by conducting skip-level meetings, and stay interviews.

Respect matters—yet only 37% of employees currently feel respected at work, a steep drop from 44% in 2021.

Plan for the worst.

No organization is immune to data sabotage, but many leave themselves vulnerable. Only 43% of companies have tools in place to ensure employee data is backed up. Employers must create redundant systems to protect critical information and prevent irreparable damage.

Act now.

The warning signs are clear if employers open their eyes. Gallup’s November 2024 poll of 20,000 U.S. employees reveals over half (51%) are actively looking for a new job, the highest figures since 2015. With a cooling job market and fewer opportunities to switch jobs, frustrations among employees are boiling over. Employers must act now—through trust, engagement, and proactive security measures—or risk even greater losses.

Lynne Curry, PhD, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, authored “Navigating Conflict” (Business Experts Press, 2022); “Managing for Accountability (BEP, 2021); “Beating the Workplace Bully,” AMACOM 2016, and “Solutions 911/411.” Curry founded www.workplacecoachblog.com, which offers more than 700 articles on topics such as leadership, HR, and professional development and “Real-life Writing,” https://bit.ly/45lNbVo.  Curry has qualified in Court as an expert witness in Management Best Practices, HR, and Workplace issues. You can reach her at https://workplacecoachblog.com/ask-a-coach/ or https://lynnecurryauthor.com for an amazing reveal of how real-life and the workplace can show up in novels and short stories. © 2025