by HRHQ Editorial Team
A new workplace phenomenon is quietly reshaping how employees engage with their jobs—it’s called “quiet cracking.” Coined by TalentLMS, unlike quiet quitting, where workers consciously scale back effort, quiet cracking is a subtler, more insidious form of disengagement. It stems from persistent dissatisfaction, uncertainty, and emotional fatigue that slowly erode morale and productivity without obvious signs. According to a Gallup study, the problem already affects nearly half of the global workforce and represents $438 billion in productivity losses, and $9.6 trillion in productivity would be added to the world economy if the global workforce was fully engaged. In Europe, only 14 per cent of European employees feel engaged at work, the lowest result among all world regions.
This phenomenon is particularly dangerous because it often goes unnoticed. Employees may still meet deadlines and attend meetings, but their enthusiasm, creativity, and initiative quietly fade. In tech and high-pressure industries, where rapid innovation and shifting roles are common, quiet cracking is especially prevalent.
Experts warn that quiet cracking can lead to burnout, absenteeism, and eventual turnover. It’s a silent productivity drain that undermines team cohesion and inflates recruitment costs. Addressing it requires more than surface-level perks—it demands empathetic leadership, clear role expectations, and a culture of support and purpose.
As post-pandemic work norms continue to evolve, quiet cracking reminds us that emotional wellbeing is not optional. It’s time for organisations to listen more closely—not just to what employees say, but to what they’re silently enduring.
