First came “quiet quitting” and “quiet firing.” Now, a new workplace trend called “quiet cracking” is emerging, describing employees who appear to be coping but are privately struggling and disengaging from their work.
The phrase, coined by workplace training platform TalentLMS, follows the results of a March 2025 survey of 1,000 U.S. employees across multiple industries. The study found that 54% of workers reported experiencing some level of quiet cracking, while 20% said they were persistently unhappy at work—leading to disengagement, declining performance, or even plans to quit.
Unlike burnout, which leaves employees visibly exhausted, or quiet quitting, where workers openly withdraw and do the bare minimum, quiet cracking is more difficult to detect. Employees may continue meeting deadlines but feel increasingly demotivated, eroding job satisfaction from within.
Behavioral psychologist Padraig Walsh believes the trend reflects a broader “trendification” of workplace emotions, popularized by TikTok and amplified by U.S. media. “The way quiet cracking is defined is the erosion of workplace satisfaction from within. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t felt that way at some stage,” Walsh said.
The rise of quiet cracking coincides with broader challenges facing businesses in the post-pandemic workplace, including heavier workloads, unclear expectations, and economic uncertainty. The Gallup State of the Global Workplace 2025 report estimates that disengaged employees cost the global economy $9.6 trillion in lost productivity—equivalent to 9% of global GDP.
Experts say the problem is not just about unhappiness, but about long-term risks for employers. Disengaged employees can influence colleagues, leading to wider dissatisfaction and higher turnover. “It only takes one person leaving to spark others to take action,” Walsh warned.
The TalentLMS survey also linked a lack of training opportunities with higher insecurity, noting employees who had not received training in the past year were 140% more likely to feel vulnerable about their roles. The report summed it up simply: “No growth, no recognition, no reason to stay.”
Business leaders and HR experts agree that addressing quiet cracking requires more than new labels—it calls for stronger employee engagement strategies. Alison Hodgson of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said organizations need to move beyond “one-size-fits-all” HR practices toward “hyper-personalization” to meet employee needs.
Technology is also a growing source of anxiety. With AI reshaping industries, many employees fear displacement. Technology journalist Peggy Smedley urged employers to focus on reassurance and reskilling. “The future of work will see workers and technology hand in hand. Companies need to make people feel they’re not being replaced, but repositioned,” she said.
While the buzzwords may come and go, experts argue the real challenge for employers is ensuring workers feel valued, supported, and equipped to grow—before quiet cracking turns into open quitting.
