Today’s job market is more cutthroat than ever, leaving many desperately clinging to their jobs amid mass layoffs and leering at the competition.
In such environments, a rival colleague or workplace enemy may make themselves known. Watching a snooty colleague get criticized for a mistake in a meeting or bungled a promotion is often deeply satisfying (even if we don’t admit it).
Many know the German name for this impulse, Schadenfreude: pleasure derived from another’s misfortune. But another more work-related term that has emerged recently fail seeing: a coping strategy born from today’s challenging job market as a way to make ourselves feel better about our own position.
Research has shown that seeing others fail can give us a boost of self-affirmation. Those with low self-esteem are more likely to feel threatened by high achievers (and to enjoy watching them fall flat on their faces). These reactions are simply human nature.
However, there are nuances to delighting in the misfortunes of others: from fleeting and vengeful thinking to public gloating or workplace harassment.
“This phenomenon is a symptom of a lack of trust within the team, with employees waiting with bated breath for someone to make a mistake,” says Peter Duris, CEO of Kickresume. fast company. “This is much less likely to be seen in a healthy workplace where everyone feels supported.”
Observation of failures is much more likely to occur in workplaces that do not recognize or reward the contributions of their employees. Today, only 30% of American employees feel that someone at work encourages their development, down from 36% in March 2020, according to a 2025 Gallup poll.
Duris also left oversight of failures to Gen Z employees because of the immense pressure younger workers face from all angles. “Many have had to fight hard to get their foot in the door,” he says. In the current hiring slump, applicants who submit a resume today have only a 0.4% chance of getting the job, according to Business Insider Information. Recent graduates are hardest hit: Global entry-level job openings have fallen 29% since January 2024, according to data from the World Economic Forum.
The competition doesn’t end there. Researchers at the University of Zurich discovered that highly competitive work environments foster the perfect conditions for the emergence and development of Schadenfreude.
It’s understandable to feel somewhat uneasy if someone else finds things difficult at work when you find it difficult too. But there is a big difference between this and praying for someone’s fall.
If you notice someone struggling, the best way to respond is to offer help if you can, or simply be kind and supportive. If another colleague tries to gossip with you about a coworker’s recent failure, change the subject, or at least save it for after-hours.
As the old saying goes: if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.