What is resenteeism
Resenteeism describes a workplace pattern in which employees stay in roles they find unfulfilling, leading to growing resentment and disengagement.
The term blends two ideas: resentment and presenteeism. Presenteeism refers to being physically present at work but not fully productive. Resenteeism goes a step further—employees are not just disengaged; they are actively dissatisfied but unwilling or unable to leave.
The result is low motivation, reduced collaboration, and a quiet but persistent negativity towards the organisation.
Where did the idea come from?
Resenteeism gained traction in the aftermath of the COVID-19, particularly during and after the Great Resignation.
During this period, many employees reassessed their careers and priorities. While some chose to leave in search of better opportunities, others stayed—often reluctantly—due to financial pressure, uncertainty, or limited alternatives.
As economic conditions tightened, rising inflation and layoffs—especially in sectors such as technology—reduced employees’ willingness to take risks. Many who might have exited instead remained, even as dissatisfaction deepened.
In this sense, resenteeism is a more emotionally charged counterpart to “quiet quitting”. It is not passive disengagement, but frustrated persistence.
Why is it relevant for HR?
For HR leaders, resenteeism is difficult to detect but costly to ignore. Unlike absenteeism or attrition, affected employees are still present—making the problem less visible but no less damaging.
Its impact shows up in multiple ways:
- Productivity: Employees do the minimum required, affecting both output and quality
- Team dynamics: Resentment spreads, normalising cynicism within teams
- Retention risk: Employees stay temporarily but are ready to exit when conditions improve
- Employee wellbeing: Prolonged dissatisfaction leads to stress, burnout, and declining mental health
The uncomfortable truth
Resenteeism rarely emerges in isolation. It is often the result of accumulated organisational experiences.
Unclear career progression, perceived pay inequity, inconsistent recognition, or ineffective management can all contribute to a sense of stagnation. Over time, unmet expectations turn into frustration.
When external conditions—such as a weak job market—limit mobility, that frustration does not disappear. It intensifies.
For HR, this leads to a difficult but necessary question:
Are employees staying because they want to—or because they feel they have no choice?
What HR can do
Addressing resenteeism requires both structural and cultural responses.
- Clarify career pathways so employees can see realistic growth opportunities
- Ensure fair and transparent rewards to reduce perceptions of inequity
- Invest in learning and development to counter stagnation
- Encourage open dialogue so concerns are surfaced early
- Strengthen manager capability, as day-to-day experience is shaped at the team level
Most importantly, organisations must align what they promise with what employees actually experience. The gap between the two is often where resentment begins.
The takeaway
Resenteeism reflects a shift in the employment relationship. Employees are no longer leaving at the first sign of dissatisfaction—but staying with diminished engagement.
For organisations, this creates a hidden risk: a workforce that is present in body but absent in spirit.
Addressing it requires more than retention strategies. It requires rebuilding trust, ensuring fairness, and creating conditions where employees choose to stay—not because they must, but because they see value in doing so.
Because once resentment sets in, retaining employees is no longer the problem.
Re-engaging them is.