Performance punishment

In human resources, performance punishment also known as quiet promotion refers to the burdening of high-performing employees with additional work, often without compensation or promotion.

Performance punishment can lead to occupational burnout, resentment, and a sense of being undervalued leading to morale loss. Performance punishment of high-performers may also limit opportunities for improvement of low-performers and alternative growth opportunities for high-performers. Performance punishment allows for performance deficits of low-performers to be ignored.

Performance punishment can be mitigated by having work fairly distributed, promoting skills development, and transparent communication.

Quiet promotion
The term quiet promotion arose in response to the Great Resignation following the COVID-19 pandemic in response to quiet quitting. Quiet promotions may due to a staffing shortage or cost-cutting measures.