Turnover is down. Recruiting pipelines are calmer. On paper, HR should be celebrating. But there’s a quieter truth beneath those numbers: many employees aren’t staying because they’re engaged, they’re staying because they’re scared.
HR and ops teams have been through it: a pandemic, The Great Resignation, labor shortages, AI disruption, the list goes on. They’ve become experts at firefighting, but exhausted from always holding the hose. Now, just when you thought the workplace buzzword factory had slowed down, here comes “job hugging.”
The term sounds warm and fuzzy: hugging, comfort, security. But as Natasha Bowman, JD, SPHR put it on LinkedIn:
“None of that is happening here. People aren’t embracing their jobs. They’re clinging to them. Out of fear. Out of exhaustion. Out of survival.”
And that’s the reality HR leaders need to face. Because if “job hugging” is just a buzzword, we can roll our eyes and move on. But if it’s a sign of widespread disengagement hiding under low turnover, it’s something worth paying attention to.
What is Job Hugging?
Coined by consulting firm Korn Ferry, “job hugging” describes employees staying in jobs even when they’re not fulfilling, not out of loyalty, but because the risk of leaving feels greater than the discomfort of staying (Hilson-Greener, USA Today, 2025).
Jess Chapman, a leadership consultant, compared it to:
“Workers clinging to their jobs like a toddler with a blanket — mostly out of fear… while stability feels safe, it can quietly cost: lost wage growth, fewer opportunities to stretch, and the risk of stagnating right where you stand.”
Why Now?
Several factors are driving job hugging:
- Economic uncertainty — High interest rates, inflation, and political instability have made people less willing to take risks (Hamilton, Forbes, 2025).
- AI disruption — Fears about automation and the future of work are pushing employees toward the familiar (CNBC, 2025).
- Familiarity bias — As Korn Ferry notes, employees feel “better the devil you know” when job prospects seem uncertain (USA Today, 2025).
- Slower hiring market — The U.S. hiring rate has slowed to its weakest pace since 2013, with quits at 2.0% in June 2025, the lowest in nearly a decade (Hilson-Greener, USA Today, 2025).
Why HR Should Care
On the surface, job hugging looks like a win, fewer resignations and calmer recruiting. But Tess Hilson-Greener points out it can mask a serious issue:
“Leaders might believe their workforce is engaged when, in fact, it is simply stuck.”
For frontline industries like healthcare, retail, and manufacturing, the pattern is even more pronounced. These sectors have battled high turnover and burnout for years. Now, people are staying, but not because conditions have improved. They’re staying because the alternative feels too risky (Hamilton, Forbes, 2025).
The risk?
- Quiet quitting 2.0 — Employees are present but mentally checked out.
- Stalled innovation — Fear-driven workforces rarely take creative risks.
- Delayed turnover wave — When confidence returns, departures could spike.
Where HR's Responsibilities Start and End in Uncertain Times
When employees are “holding on for dear life,” HR can’t control the economy, hiring trends, or AI disruption, but it can influence the internal climate people experience while they’re here.
As Alexandra Petrisano, Workplace Mental Health Specialist at the Canadian Mental Health Association, shared in our recent webinar A Manager’s Role in Supporting Employee Mental Health:
“Leaders have a responsibility to protect the mental health and well-being of their teams — but that starts with noticing changes in behavior, not making assumptions, and opening the door for support in a safe, non-judgmental way.”
HR’s role is to equip managers with the skills, resources, and frameworks to have these conversations, and to make it easy for employees to access help. As Petrisano advises, leaders should keep a “cheat sheet” of support options, from EFAP numbers to community resources, because when someone’s struggling, even small barriers can prevent them from reaching out.
Importantly, Petrisano notes that while managers and HR should be the first layer of support, they’re not therapists:
“It’s about facilitating access and accommodations, not diagnosing or treating. Your role is to connect, validate, and create conditions for support.”
Why Recognition Matters in the Job Hugging Era
Fear-based retention is not the same as engagement, and one of the most effective ways to shift people out of “cling mode” is to show them they’re seen.
In a recent episode ofHR on the Frontline on the topic of Teaching Managers the Power of Appreciation to Boost Engagement, Laura Lillie Goodridge, Manager Coach and Development Facilitator, explained:
“Appreciation, at its core, is acknowledgment that somebody else exists and is spending time doing something for you. It sounds simple, but it’s one of the most underused tools managers have — and it has a direct impact on retention, engagement, and performance.”
Goodridge emphasizes that appreciation isn’t one-size-fits-all and it’s not just about saying “thank you” on Employee Appreciation Day. It’s about continuous, tailored recognition that reflects what matters to each individual, especially during peak stress periods when energy and personal resources are running low.
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How HR Can Respond to Job Hugging
Whether the phrase “job hugging” sticks around or not, the behavior is real and HR’s role is to help employees move from fear-based holding patterns to genuine engagement.
Here’s where to start:
- Recognize early and often – Recognition is one of the quickest ways to re-energize disengaged employees (Goodridge, HR on the Frontline, 2025).
- Train managers to notice changes – Equip leaders to spot shifts in behavior and start safe, supportive conversations (Petrisano, CMHA Webinar, 2025).
- Provide growth without requiring departure – Learning programs, stretch projects, and mentorships allow employees to
progress without changing jobs (Hamilton, Forbes, 2025). - Measure engagement, not just retention – Low turnover can hide cultural stagnation (Hilson-Greener, USA Today, 2025).
- Be transparent about the future – Even when the news is uncertain, honesty reduces fear and builds trust (CNBC, 2025).
- Make milestones magnetic – If team members are hanging on, make them proud of it. Add extra oomph to work anniversaries, project completions, and service awards so they feel like checkpoints worth celebrating, not just dates on a calendar. This could mean:
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- A personal leadership note and gift card sent on the exact anniversary date, not just during annual reviews.
- Team-wide milestone celebrations like a “tenure toast” at the start of a meeting, where peers share their favorite memory of working with that person.
- Custom growth perks such as funding for a professional course or conference tied to the milestone, showing that staying with the company opens doors, not just keeps them shut.
The goal: shift the narrative from “I’m still here because I’m scared” to “I’ve built something worth staying for.”
The Takeaway
Job hugging might be the latest shiny workplace phrase, but the conditions driving it, economic anxiety, market slowdown, and fear of change, aren’t going away.
You can let your workforce “hold on for dear life”… or you can give them something worth holding onto.
That means creating workplaces where stability comes with recognition, growth, and purpose, not fear.
Because if job hugging is survival mode, HR’s job is to help people stop clinging… and start leaning in.
— Skai Dalziel, Co-Founder & CEO @ Guusto
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