Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Job Hugging Isn’t Disengagement: What Fear, AI, and DEI Rollbacks Reveal About Today’s Workforce
16 Plays24 days ago
In this episode of Disability@Work, host Ashley Sims breaks down job hugging—a growing workplace trend where employees stay in roles they might otherwise leave because uncertainty feels too risky. This isn’t quiet-quitting or a lack of ambition. It’s a rational response to economic instability, layoffs, AI disruption, DEI rollbacks, and declining psychological safety at work.
Drawing on findings from the 2026 Disability at Work Report, Ashley explores why disabled employees are especially likely to job hug, how fear around disclosure and accommodations shapes career decisions, and why low turnover does not equal engagement. The episode also challenges employers to rethink what job hugging signals about trust, inclusion, and workplace systems.
Whether you’re an employer trying to understand shifting workforce behavior or an employee feeling stuck for practical reasons, this conversation offers critical insight into how safety, trust, and accessibility shape career mobility today.
Show Notes:
In this episode, we cover:
- What job hugging is—and why it’s not quiet quitting or disengagement
- Why economic uncertainty, layoffs, and AI disruption are keeping employees in place
- How DEI rollbacks and political shifts are affecting psychological safety at work
- Why disabled employees are especially likely to job hug
- What the 2026 Disability at Work Report reveals about disclosure, accommodations, and trust
- Why low turnover doesn’t equal engagement
- What employers can do to make growth and mobility feel safe again
Read the 2026 Disability at Work Report:
https://go.disabilitytalent.org/2026-disability-at-work-survey-report
About the Show
Disability@Work is a Disability Solutions podcast. Hosted by Marketing & Communications Director, Ashley Sims, each episode offers practical insight for employers, HR and talent leaders, and advocates working to build more inclusive organizations. Learn more at DisabilityTalent.org.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to 'Disability at Work' Podcast
00:00:07
Speaker
Welcome back to Disability at Work, the podcast where we talk about what's happening in the workplace for employees with disabilities. I'm your host, Ashley Sims, and today I want to talk about something that we're seeing a lot more of in today's job market.
00:00:22
Speaker
It's called job hugging. And it's not quiet quitting. It's not laziness, and it's not a lack of ambition. It's a response to the moment we're
What is 'Job Hugging'?
00:00:32
Speaker
in. Before we go any further, we should probably clear something up.
00:00:36
Speaker
Job hugging and quiet quitting get lumped together a lot of the time, but they're actually different. Quiet quitting is about pulling back, doing the bare minimum, protecting your energy because work no longer feels worth the extra effort.
00:00:50
Speaker
It's just easier to fade into the background. Job hugging is different. It happens when people want to keep growing, but don't feel safe for taking risks.
00:01:00
Speaker
They stay in jobs they might otherwise leave. They keep their
Economic Pressures and Job Stability
00:01:04
Speaker
heads down. They avoid rocking the boat because leaving feels dangerous. So why are people job hugging right now?
00:01:13
Speaker
The short answer is probably pretty obvious. It's because everything feels uncertain right now. But let's unpack that a bit more. The economy has definitely changed the stakes. Between inflation, housing costs, healthcare collapsing, and just generally financial pressure, a lot of people are choosing stability over satisfaction.
00:01:36
Speaker
A job isn't just a job anymore. It's health insurance. It's predictable income. It's survival.
Job Market Challenges
00:01:44
Speaker
So even when a role isn't fulfilling or even supportive, it can still feel safer than starting over.
00:01:51
Speaker
And the job market has been brutal in the last few years. Layoffs have become normalized. Some people even going through multiple layoffs in the span of just a few years.
00:02:02
Speaker
We're watching strong performers lose jobs. Teams disappearing overnight, roles getting eliminated with little warning. And on the other side, an absolutely inundated job market.
00:02:15
Speaker
Hundreds, thousands of applications are being received within hours of a new job going up. Recruiters are overloaded with resumes, automated screening, long hiring times, applicants being ghosted after three or four rounds of interviews.
00:02:32
Speaker
So workers are looking around and thinking, don't love this job, but what if I leave and I can't find anything better?
Impact of AI on Job Security
00:02:41
Speaker
That fear keeps people in place.
00:02:43
Speaker
And AI is a big part of this. AI is quietly shaping job hugging in a huge way. People are watching roles get automated, job descriptions are changing overnight, expectations are increasing without clarity.
00:02:58
Speaker
And new tools are being thrown into the mix without training. There's a very real worry underneath all of this. Will my job still exist next year, next month?
00:03:08
Speaker
Will I be replaced by a machine? Will I so still be employable if the rules keep changing? And when work feels fragile, people cling to what feels stable, even if it is imperfect.
Political Changes and DEI Concerns
00:03:23
Speaker
And what's happening politically is a major factor in all of this. For many workers, especially employees with disabilities, DEI rollbacks and shifting corporate language are creating real uncertainty. In the Disability Solutions 2026 Disability at Work report, we saw this clearly.
00:03:44
Speaker
Only 13% of survey respondents said they feel fully safe disclosing a disability at work under the current political climate. Nearly 60% believe disclosing hurts their job prospects or treatment.
00:03:59
Speaker
And almost half said political and DEI rollbacks reduced their sense of belonging at work. That tells us something important. People aren't just worried about losing jobs, they're worried about losing protection.
Psychological Safety and Job Hugging
00:04:13
Speaker
And when trust erodes, mobility becomes very risky. Psychological safety is the missing piece here. Our report found that most disabled workers don't believe employers genuinely understand disability-related needs.
00:04:27
Speaker
Many experience accessibility barriers on a regular basis. So when we ask, why aren't people applying for new roles? Why aren't they pushing for growth? This is a big part of it.
00:04:39
Speaker
Psychological safety isn't about comfort. It's about whether people believe the system and place will protect them if they speak up. And when safety is low, people stop taking chances.
00:04:51
Speaker
They stay where they are and stay quiet. They job hug. This is especially true for disabled workers. For disabled employees, job hugging is often deeply practical.
00:05:03
Speaker
People stay because their accommodations are finally in place. They've already had the hard conversations with managers. They don't trust a new employer to follow through. And they don't want to redisclose and re-explain all over again.
Misinterpretation of Low Turnover Rates
00:05:17
Speaker
This year's Disability at Work report shows that over half of respondents found accommodations, processes very or extremely challenging, and many waited weeks or never heard back at all. And when the process is already convoluted and you don't want to be seen as being difficult, you stay quiet in the name of self-preservation.
00:05:39
Speaker
Employers are definitely misinterpreting the signals. The big mistake employers are making is seeing low turnover and thinking things must be going well. But job hugging doesn't equal engagement.
00:05:51
Speaker
It often signals fear. If people aren't applying internally, if feedback has gone quiet, if employees feel invisible rather than invested, that's not loyalty. That's caution.
Creating Supportive Work Environments
00:06:05
Speaker
And it tells you trust is eroding. So how can employers re-engage job hugging workforce? This isn't about motivating people to care more.
00:06:15
Speaker
It's about making risk feel safer. That starts with psychological safety. Things like making accommodations practical, explicitly separating support from performance judgment.
00:06:28
Speaker
Being honest about AI, restructuring, and change. Normalizing growth conversations for disabled employees and backing up inclusive statements with real, authentic action.
00:06:40
Speaker
People want protections against retaliation, stronger enforcement of accommodations, and leadership they can trust. That shouldn't be complicated. People engage when they believe the system has their back.
Reflecting on Broader Issues
00:06:52
Speaker
If you're an employee who's job-hugging right now, that is okay. Staying can be smart, necessary, and rational in an unsafe system. But you deserve more than just holding on.
00:07:06
Speaker
And the responsibility for creating safe, supportive, growth-oriented workplaces should not fall on employees. Job hugging is a red flag about the economy, about the job market, about AI, and especially about psychological safety in your workplace.
00:07:24
Speaker
The question for employees isn't, why aren't people leaving? It's what would make people feel safe enough to move, grow, and fully show up?
Resources for Disabled Employees
00:07:34
Speaker
That's where disability solutions can come in.
00:07:36
Speaker
Reach out to us at disabilitytalent.org for more information on how we can help. Thanks for listening. I'll see you next time.