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Tuesday 16 February 2016 11:44 am

“Ghosting” is the new skiving as nine per cent of UK workers admit to giving their employers the silent treatment

By: Edith Hancock

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Poor dating etiquette has started leaking into the British office.

Nine per cent of British workers admit they have "ghosted" an employer by simply failing to show up to work, instead of handing in their formal notice.

Making its way into the list of 2015's best words at the end of last year, "ghosting" is often used in reference to a romantic relationship and refers to being dumped through a sudden cut-off of all communication without any explanation. But now it's not just for dating.

Much like ghosting in the dating world, top reasons for blanking the boss include overbearing (workload) commitments, being badly treated (by management) and finding a better offer elsewhere.

But it's not all one-way traffic – employers have been known to use the tactic themselves. 

It appears to be most used during the recruitment process, with more than half of UK workers being ghosted by an employer during the interview process.

CV Library's Lee Biggins said: “The recruitment process is tedious for both job hunters and employers, but that’s no excuse for either party to simply ignore the other." 

"It’s critical that businesses correct this behaviour. If a candidate is constantly ignored by employers, a signal is being sent to workers that the behaviour is acceptable."

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