Job Hugging Isn't Disengagement: What Fear, AI, and DEI Rollbacks Reveal About Today's Workforce

Episode 7
April 27, 2026

Ashley Sims
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. 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 in. Before we go any further, we should probably clear something up. 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. And 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 taking risks. They stay in jobs they might otherwise leave. They keep their heads down. They avoid rocking the boat because leaving feels dangerous. So, why are people job hugging right now? 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, health care collapsing and just generally financial pressure, a lot of people are choosing stability over satisfaction. A job isn't just a job anymore. It's health insurance. It's predictable income. It's survival. So even when a role isn't fulfilling or even supportive, it can still feel safer than starting over. 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. 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. 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 3 or 4 rounds of interviews. So workers are looking around and thinking, I don’t love this job, but what if I leave and I can't find anything better? That fear keeps people in place. 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. 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? Will I be replaced by a machine? Will I still be employable if the rules keep changing? And when work feels fragile, people cling to what feels stable, even if it is imperfect. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Psychological safety isn't about comfort. It's about whether people believe the system in place will protect them if they speak up. And when safety is low, people stop taking chances. 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. People stay because their accommodations are finally in place. They already had the hard conversations with managers. They don't trust a new employer to follow through, and they don't want to re-disclose and re-explain all over again. 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. 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. 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. And it tells you trust is eroding. So how can employers reengage a job-hugging workforce? This isn't about motivating people to care more. It's about making risk feel safer. That starts with psychological safety. Things like making accommodations practical. Explicitly separating support from performance judgment. Being honest about AI, restructuring and change. Normalizing growth conversations for disabled employees and backing up inclusive statements with real, authentic action. 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. If you're an employee who's job hugging right now, that is ok. Staying can be smart, necessary and rational in an unsafe system. But you deserve more than just holding on. 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. 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? That's where Disability Solutions can come in. Reach out to us at disabilitytalent.org for more information on how we can help. Thanks for listening. I'll see you next time.