Nearly half of U.S. workers ‘revenge quit’ without notice, report finds

Majority of silent departures come from loyal, long-term staff, driven by toxic culture and poor management

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published24 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Nearly half of U.S. workers have walked out on their jobs without giving any notice in the past year, according to a March 2025 report from job board Monster, with the majority of ‘revenge quitters’ being employees who had been in their roles for more than two years.

The phenomenon, dubbed “revenge quitting,” sees workers leaving their employers abruptly, without a resignation letter or warning. Vicki Salemi, Monster’s career expert, said the trend reflects deeper workplace issues. “Sudden resignations aren’t just individual exits, they’re warning signals flashing across workplace culture,” she said. “When workers walk out without notice, it’s often because they’ve lost trust in leadership or feel their voices aren’t heard.”

Monster’s survey found that the primary triggers for revenge quitting are toxic workplaces, poor management, and feeling undervalued. Low pay or lack of benefits accounted for only 4% of silent exits, and lack of career growth opportunities ranked even lower, indicating that culture and management are the main drivers of loyalty, or its collapse.

The impact extends beyond the departing employee. Nearly 60% of workers have witnessed a colleague walk out without notice, causing projects to stall and morale to drop. Up to one-third of workers have seen four or more peers quit abruptly. Despite the disruption, around 90% of workers said revenge quitting is justified in a poor work environment, and half view it as a valid form of protest.

Monster’s report suggests employers seeking to reduce turnover should focus on creating safe, respectful work environments; training managers to lead with empathy and clarity; recognizing and rewarding contributions; and offering competitive pay and clear career paths. “In today’s competitive job market, addressing these issues proactively could mean the difference between losing talent suddenly — or building a loyal, long-term workforce,” the report concluded.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Workers walking out without notice disrupts operations, increases costs for employers, and signals deep dissatisfaction that can ripple across entire teams.
The trend highlights that non-financial factors, culture, management, and respect, are increasingly critical to retention, particularly among experienced staff.
As the labor market remains competitive, companies that fail to address workplace culture risk losing their most seasoned employees without warning.

Background

“Revenge quitting” is the latest in a series of workplace trends following “quiet quitting,” where employees do the bare minimum, and “loud quitting,” where they make a visible exit. The Monster report, based on a March 2025 survey of U.S. workers, found that nearly half had engaged in revenge quitting in the prior year, with the majority being long-term employees.

Key Perspectives

Workers: Nearly all respondents said revenge quitting is justified in a poor work environment, with health workplace culture, recognition, and better management cited as changes that could have prevented their departure. Monster career expert Vicki Salemi: Described sudden resignations as warning signals of lost trust in leadership and unaddressed employee concerns.

What to Watch

Whether employers begin implementing culture-focused changes, such as management training and recognition programs, to reduce abrupt departures.
How the trend evolves as more workers see colleagues leave without notice and may feel emboldened to do the same.
Potential ripple effects in industries with already high turnover rates or toxic workplace reputations.

Sources

Half of workers are ‘revenge quitting’ and walking out on their jobs without notice—and the majority are loyal, longtime staff, report shows · Fortune