Why 'job hugging' can be worse than quitting

"So if these employees are " hugging " their current roles, it's not an act of affection. It's often in desperation. "Being a job hugger means you're feeling anxious, insecure, more likely to stay but also more likely to want to leave," says Erin Eatough, chief science officer and principal adviser at Fractional Insights, which applies organizational psychology insights to the workplace. "You often see a self-protective response: 'Nothing to see here, I'm doing a good job, I'm not leaving.'""

"This performative behavior can be psychologically damaging, especially in a culture of layoffs. "If I was scared of losing my job I'd try everything to keep it: complimenting my boss, staying late, going to optional meetings, being a good organizational citizen," says Anthony Klotz, professor of organizational behavior at the UCL School of Management in London. "But we know that when people aren't loving their jobs but are still going above and beyond, that it's a one-way trip to burnout.""

"Put more pessimistically: Employees are going to feel stuck where they are for the foreseeable future. In many cases, that means staying in unsatisfying jobs. Gallup's 2025 State of the Global Workforce report shows that employee engagement has fallen to 21%. And a March 2025 study of 1,000 U.S. workers by advisory and consulting firm Fractional Insights showed that 44% of employees reported feeling workplace angst, despite often showing intent to stay."

An uncertain economy with AI growth, tariffs and rising costs has prompted companies to pull back on hiring, increasing layoffs and cooling the labor market. Fewer workers are quitting their jobs, so many are expected to 'job hug' and stay in current roles through 2026. Employees often feel stuck and may remain in unsatisfying jobs. Employee engagement has dropped to 21%, and 44% of surveyed U.S. workers reported workplace angst despite intent to stay. Job hugging reflects anxiety and insecurity, producing self-protective, performative behaviors that can lead to burnout and slow-burning psychological harm.

Read at Fast Company