WTF Is Quiet Cracking?

Remember quiet quitting, where employees mentally check out while physically staying put?

Now meet its more insidious cousin: quiet cracking.

And if you think it’s just another buzzword destined for an HR conference PowerPoint, think again.

What is it?

More than half of employees (54%) report feeling unhappy at work, the frequency ranging from occasionally to constantly, according to a study from TalentLMS, an employee management platform.

Meanwhile, the latest research from the career marketplace Upwork shows the issue of quiet cracking is deepening, especially among workers who use AI to boost productivity. It found that 77% of executives say AI is helping their orgs with productivity gains, but 88% of top AI performers report burnout and are twice as likely to consider quitting. Just 1 in 4 companies offer formal AI skills training, even as usage accelerates, pointing to a systemic issue.

Unlike quiet quitting — where employees deliberately dial down their effort — quiet cracking is an involuntary mental and emotional breakdown happening right under the boss’s nose.

TalentLMS defines quiet cracking as that persistent feeling of workplace unhappiness that leads to disengagement, poor performance and an increased desire to quit. The key difference? These employees aren’t choosing to slack off — rather, they’re silently drowning while trying to keep their heads above water.

A ‘quiet’ crisis

Quiet cracking could also be described as a sort of workplace purgatory where employees continue showing up and completing tasks but are emotionally and mentally fracturing from within. Like a crack in a glass, quiet cracking happens beneath the surface, slowly weakening the relationship between employees and their work — until they reach the breaking point.

According to Martin Poduška, editor in chief at Kickresume, the telltale signs of quiet cracking are similar those of burnout. “You may notice yourself lacking motivation and enthusiasm for your work, and you may be feeling useless, or even angry and irritable,” he says. “These are all common indicators of quiet cracking, and they gradually get worse over time.”

Yet here’s what makes this trend particularly dangerous for HR leaders. “It isn’t obvious when quiet cracking happens,” Poduška explains. “You may be starting to quietly crack right now, but you wouldn’t know as this type of burnout takes some time for others, and even you, to notice.”

By the numbers

The financial impact of quiet cracking can be serious. According to a report from Gallup, quiet cracking isn’t just creating a bad culture for employees; it’s also hitting the bottom line hard, costing $438 billion in lost productivity globally.

The TalentLMS survey reveals the scope of the problem: 20% of employees experience it frequently, and 34% occasionally — meaning more than half the workforce could be quietly cracking without management even being aware. Even more alarming: employees experiencing quiet cracking are 152% more likely to feel undervalued.

Why now?

A number of converging factors have created the perfect storm for quiet cracking. For one, the job market has cooled significantly, leaving employees feeling trapped in unsatisfying roles. Many workers who may have wanted to leave their jobs for some time have felt trapped in their current roles as a result of the current hiring downturn.

Meanwhile, the rise of AI has led many in the workforce to silently but massively disengage from their employers.

Add to all that reduced learning and development opportunities, a lack of recognition and limited chances for advancement and it amounts to the ideal environment for quiet cracking.

How to detect it

Unlike quiet quitting, which shows up in measurable performance drops, quiet cracking is maddeningly subtle.

Dannielle Haig, business psychologist and founder of DH Consulting, warns that quiet cracking is a particularly damaging form of disengagement as it can “slip under the radar” for long periods of time, commenting, “It can show up in ways that are easy to miss such as a dip in creativity, slower decision making, more mistakes or less collaboration.”

Employees maintain baseline productivity but their internal motivation slowly erodes. They are present but not engaged, functional but not thriving. By the time the boss notices the symptoms, the damage to both employee well-being and organizational culture may already be extensive.

How to fix it

Workplace experts propose some intervention strategies. With employees who received training in the past year feeling much more secure in their roles, TalentLMS advises employers to “double down on learning and development” and to adopt the view that “training is more than a skill-building tool — it’s a confidence booster.”

Regular recognition is equally critical. Create structured feedback loops, invest in manager training to spot early warning signs, and prioritize psychological safety so employees feel comfortable voicing concerns before they reach the cracking point, the experts advise.

The bottom line? Quiet cracking isn’t just a well-being issue — it’s a business issue, as the study reminds employers, noting that when employees quietly crack, they take productivity, creativity and loyalty with them. At a time when talent retention is a top priority, employers that can detect and address quiet cracking early on could have a powerful competitive advantage.