Crandi

Quiet Cracking Is Spreading In Offices Half Of Workers Are At

Leo Migdal
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quiet cracking is spreading in offices half of workers are at

Workers are down in the dumps about a lack of career growth opportunities and emptying offices as companies slash staffers to make way for AI, all while being put under constant pressure to do... Scared of speaking out and putting their neck on the line in a dire job climate, staff are silently but massively disengaging with their employers: Welcome to “quiet cracking.” The latest workplace phenomenon sees staff showing up and doing their job but mentally and emotionally struggling. About 54% of employees report feeling unhappy at work, with the frequency ranging from occasionally to constantly, according to a 2025 report from TalentLMS. “The telltale signs of quiet cracking are very similar to burnout. You may notice yourself lacking motivation and enthusiasm for your work, and you may be feeling useless, or even angry and irritable,” Martin Poduška, editor in chief and career writer for Kickresume, tells Fortune.

“These are all common indicators of quiet cracking, and they gradually get worse over time.” Unlike “quiet quitting,” this decline in productivity from workers isn’t intentional. Instead, it’s caused by feeling worn down and unappreciated by their employers. And oftentimes, as with burnout, they don’t even register it creeping up on them until it’s too late. But feeling unable to quit in protest because of the current job market, it’s left them ultimately stuck and unhappy in their roles. Over half of employees now experience quiet cracking, a silent form of disengagement that erodes productivity.

Unlike "quiet quitting," where employees deliberately set boundaries by doing the minimum required, quiet cracking represents persistent workplace unhappiness that gradually leads to decreased performance, diminished productivity, and resignation. According to TalentLMS research, 54% of employees describe their relationship with employers as quiet cracking, with one in five experiencing it frequently. This phenomenon undermines initiatives and drives unexpected turnover because it often goes undetected until significant damage has occurred. Here are the seven most common quiet cracking behaviors destroying productivity and how leaders can address them: The research shows workers who haven't received training in the past year are 140% more likely to feel insecure about their jobs. This insecurity manifests as hesitation to take on new responsibilities, reluctance to contribute ideas, and avoidance of challenging projects.

The data indicates that 15% of employees don’t clearly understand their role in an AI-driven workplace. This ambiguity creates a breeding ground for quiet cracking, as employees who lack clear direction often perform only the most familiar tasks while avoiding potentially valuable new responsibilities that could increase productivity. Before employees engage in "quiet quitting," first come signs of "quiet cracking." "Quiet quitting" refers to the idea of an employee doing the bare minimum at work, according to ResumeBuilder. Meanwhile, "quiet cracking" is a "persistent feeling of workplace unhappiness that leads to disengagement, poor performance, and an increased desire to quit," according to a new report from cloud learning platform TalentLMS, which coined... While they are both different responses to burnout and stress, quiet cracking could lead to quiet quitting in some cases, experts say.

"Unlike burnout, it doesn't always manifest in exhaustion. Unlike quiet quitting, it doesn't show up in performance metrics immediately. But it is just as dangerous," the report notes. More from Personal Finance:Trump immigration policy may be shrinking labor forceWhat's happening with unemployed Americans — in five chartsTrump’s ‘no tax on tips’ raises worker questions Workers are down in the dumps about a lack of career growth opportunities and emptying offices as companies slash staffers to make way for AI, all while being put under constant pressure to do... Scared of speaking out and putting their neck on the line in a dire job climate, staff are silently but massively disengaging with their employers: Welcome to “quiet cracking.”

The latest workplace phenomenon sees staff showing up and doing their job but mentally and emotionally struggling. About 54% of employees report feeling unhappy at work, with the frequency ranging from occasionally to constantly, according to a 2025 report from TalentLMS. “The telltale signs of quiet cracking are very similar to burnout. You may notice yourself lacking motivation and enthusiasm for your work, and you may be feeling useless, or even angry and irritable,” Martin Poduška, editor in chief and career writer for Kickresume, tells Fortune. “These are all common indicators of quiet cracking, and they gradually get worse over time.” Unlike “quiet quitting,” this decline in productivity from workers isn’t intentional.

Instead, it’s caused by feeling worn down and unappreciated by their employers. And oftentimes, as with burnout, they don’t even register it creeping up on them until it’s too late. But feeling unable to quit in protest because of the current job market, it’s left them ultimately stuck and unhappy in their roles. Meta has announced budget cuts to its metaverse plans for 2026, expecting to eliminate 30% of its operating costs with regard to the Reality Labs unit. ... The use of AI in performance reviews is a controversial topic, but it must be discussed to prepare for the future of management and HR.

... Less than 1 in 5 women report confidence in their retirement plans and the ability to stay financially secure in their later years. ... Today’s workplace is being reshaped by an unusual trend. Many employees are no longer aiming for awards, promotions or applause. They are working just enough to meet ex...

Ola Snow, Chief Human Resources Office at Cardinal Health, will retire in February 2026 after 24 years with the company. ... Posted August 18, 2025 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk Lately, have you been finding that maintaining your professional performance feels harder than it used to? You're getting things done, hitting deadlines, showing up to meetings—but inside, something feels like it's slowly breaking? If you're nodding your head, you're not alone.

Our latest research has uncovered what might be one of the most significant workplace well-being challenges of our time. We studied more than 1,000 workers and found that 55 percent are "quietly cracking"—maintaining their expected performance while experiencing significant internal distress. When people describe what this feels like, they explain: "To me, quietly cracking is when you are breaking inside, but still holding it together to finish the job." Another told us it's "smiling on... Yet most people experiencing this don't recognize what's happening, and even fewer talk about it. The result is a workforce of people who appear to be functioning well while privately struggling in ways that put them at risk for more severe mental health challenges.

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