It’s not the boisterous resignations or the outward slumps in productivity that are keeping most HR leaders awake at night it’s something more subtle, less obvious, and perhaps more insidious: quiet cracking. Unlike quiet quitting, where workers deliberately disengage, quiet cracking occurs when individuals continue to report to work, get things done, but quietly grapple with the pressure, uncertainty, and waning support. And in today’s economic environment, it’s propagating rapidly.
1. What Quiet Cracking Truly Is
Frank Giampietro, EY Americas Chief Wellbeing Officer, calls it when employees “show up, they do their job, but they struggle in silence while they do it.” It’s not a decision to remain it’s the absence of better alternatives. With hiring declining and job-changing now worse for pay increases than remaining, countless feel trapped. The outcome? Global employee engagement fell from 23% to 21% last year, costing the economy an estimated $438 billion in lost productivity.
2. Early Warning Signs Leaders Can’t Ignore
The red flags tend to reflect early burnout: excessive fatigue, increased sick days, headaches, mood swings, and subtle performance dips. A previously optimistic coworker may become withdrawn; a high performer may suddenly miss deadlines. Giampietro warns against making performance-based assumptions. Instead, begin with a check-in: “Hey, I’ve noticed you’re acting differently. Can we talk about it? I just want to know that you’re okay.”
3. Why It’s Happening Now
Gallup data shows U.S. engagement dropped to its lowest in over a decade, with only 31% of employees feeling engaged. Factors include return-to-office mandates employees don’t support, the “infinite workday” of blurred boundaries, and a lack of career mobility. Amy Mosher, chief people officer at isolved, warns: “If it’s not addressed, it’s going to have a tangible impact on your business.”
4. The Wellbeing Backslide Post-Pandemic
Wellbeing was a business priority during the pandemic. But as turnover rates leveled off, cost-cutting became the norm. Workplace wellbeing reached its peak in 2020 and has declined incrementally every year since, according to the Human Capital Development Lab at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. Sectors such as healthcare and retail/hospitality now have the lowest scores. And demographic disparities remain Black women, for instance, have the worst wellbeing ratings by gender and race.
5. The Manager Connection Gap
Managers are usually the frontline, but 47% of workers who have suffered quiet cracking indicate that their managers don’t pay attention to them. Employees without training are 140% more likely to feel uncertain about their jobs, data from TalentLMS indicates. “Among the largest hidden threats to any company is that first-level managers are not being trained,” Mosher states.
6. The Cost of Inaction
Silent cracking doesn’t only damage morale it destroys productivity, innovation, and commitment. Gallup puts disengagement at $2 trillion per year in the U.S. And it’s not merely about production; disengaged workers will contribute fewer ideas, volunteer for less, and engage less in team culture, clogging the system and bringing the entire group down.
7. Strategies That Work
- Double down on learning and development. Regular, structured training increases confidence and sends a message that employees’ futures are worth investing in.
- Train managers in empathy and active listening. Make frequent one-on-ones and feedback cycles the standard.
- Celebrate contributions regularly. Value-based recognition is an inexpensive, high-impact morale booster.
- Clear expectations and workload balance. Periodically update job descriptions and reallocate work to avoid overload.
- Provide flexibility where feasible. Flexible working is closely related to higher scores of wellbeing.
8. Embedding Wellbeing Into Culture
Practitioners such as Michelle Barton, PhD, emphasize that wellbeing practices need to be woven into daily work not deployed only in crisis. That involves aligning leadership behavior, communication, and policies with care culture. As Hassan Choughari points out, “By making mental health a core business priority, you can create a more resilient, engaged and productive workforce.”
Quiet cracking can be subtle in its appearance, but its effect is anything but. Listening leaders, acting leaders, and investing leaders particularly in their managers and development initiatives can transform silent struggle into renewed commitment, even in times of uncertainty.
