Is ‘Quiet Cracking’ Deepening the Fissures Within U.S. Workforces?

“Employee burnout,” “presenteeism” and “quiet quitting” have regularly been in the headlines in recent years as forms of workforce malaise that negatively impact employee satisfaction and, as a result, productivity.

With that as context, TalentLMS, an employee training platform, recently released a survey of 1,000 U.S. employees that revealed a related yet relatively new workplace phenomenon that’s going largely undetected — “quiet cracking.” In short, quiet cracking describes workers who remain in their jobs and “report feeling some kind of workplace funk.”

Fifty-four percent of employees surveyed by TalentLMS said they experience some level of quiet cracking, and about 20% report experiencing it “frequently” or “constantly.”

According to Nikhil Arora, the CEO of Epignosis, the parent company of TalentLMS, unlike burnout or quiet quitting, quiet cracking doesn’t manifest itself in obvious ways — making it even more risky for business leaders to ignore.

According to the survey results, Arora said employees in this state are less likely to take on extra responsibilities, share ideas with team members or attend corporate/team events.

“Quiet cracking may not be obvious at first, but over time, it can wear down team energy, connection and trust,” he explained, adding that the upside is that a solution isn’t complicated.

“When people feel stuck, unheard or unsure about their future, that’s when disengagement creeps in,” Arora said, noting that giving employees space to grow — through learning, upskilling and real conversations — can turn things around.

“[Such employer responses] not only shows people they matter, but helps them rediscover a sense of purpose and forward momentum — something we all seek at work and in life,” he added.

A Total Rewards Issue

According to Arora, quiet cracking is a total rewards concern because it encompasses much more than salary and benefits; it includes learning opportunities, recognition, and even a sense of purpose and community.

“When employees disengage, it signals a breakdown in an organization’s total rewards package,” he said. “If people don’t feel their contributions are acknowledged or their growth is supported, no amount of compensation alone can reignite their passion or loyalty.”

For this reason, Arora added, quiet cracking is an issue because it eventually undermines the employer’s “offering” and holistic branding message. If employees silently disengage, organizations often risk losing talent, productivity and innovation.

“Addressing this requires a comprehensive approach that aligns rewards with what truly motivates today’s workforce: purpose, growth and connection,” he said.

Invisible at Work?

According to Zach Mercurio, a researcher and adviser on purposeful leadership and meaningful work, concepts like quiet quitting — or now quiet cracking — have the same underlying origin: feelings of insignificance. In fact, Mercurio added, polls in general over the last five years show 30% of people feel invisible at work.

“Gallup reported earlier this year that employee engagement was at its lowest rate in a decade,” he said. “But if you look deeper into that data, just 39% strongly agreed that someone cared for them as a person at work and only 30% felt someone invested in their unique potential.”

Mercurio said quiet cracking is an inevitable withdrawal response to feeling as if you don’t matter, and added that feelings of being valued are cultivated through daily interactions, not through programs, platforms or perks, which means the solution is to refocus on optimizing daily interactions.

Such interactions make people feel noticed, affirmed and needed, Mercurio said. To get there, he advised organizations to ensure all leaders have the appropriate relational skills.

Debra Dinnocenzo, president of VirtualWorks, a consulting, coaching and training firm, noted that while there are many ways leaders can be more aware of team member disengagement, it’s important to understand that quiet cracking also can impact those in leadership ranks, particularly mid-level leaders.

“It’s really difficult for dissatisfied and disengaged leaders to motivate and inspire team members,” she said. “This is further exacerbated by the expansion of remote work and the inherent distance between leaders and team members.”

Dinnocenzo recommended that leaders begin with some basic and very powerful behaviors, such as being empathetic, listening, seeking, disclosing and creating a psychologically safe environment for team members to share concerns.

“Until employees feel heard and appreciated, they aren’t likely to care or contribute beyond the basics of their responsibilities,” she said. “I would further suggest it’s essential that leaders and organizations provide support for workers owning their self-responsibility for wellness, motivation and engagement.”

Values and Motivations Matter

Dinnocenzo said employees should understand their values, motivations and priorities, as well as the connection between those aspects of their lives and the rewards of their work compact.

“This is the essence of employee wellness and the first step in confronting quiet cracking,” she said.

According to Robin Levitt, the president of 4D Executive Search, quiet cracking also is a symptom of something deeper: a growing disconnect between leadership and employees.

“For example, senior leaders are pushing for in-office work, while junior staff crave flexibility — but the real issue is how connected people feel to the workplace,” she explained. “When relationships are weak, everything becomes transactional. People start focusing only on what’s being done or not — and that’s a breeding ground for stress.”

To truly prevent quiet cracking, Levitt suggested prioritizing “real” human connections, reinforcing that mistakes are part of growth, not grounds for dismissal, and creating a culture where effort is noticed and valued.

“When employees feel safe, supported and seen, they stop bracing for impact — and start showing up fully,” she said.

A Problem Hiding in Pain Sight

Angela Justice, the founder of executive coaching firm Justice Group Advisors, takes a different view of the trend, saying quiet cracking feels more like the latest corporate buzzword created to diagnose employees, rather than examining leadership.

“Disengagement isn’t new — and it isn’t quiet,” she said. “What’s quiet is the way employees get excluded from strategy, overlooked in meetings or dismissed when they speak up. That’s not a hidden crisis; it’s a culture problem hiding in plain sight.”

According to Justice, if employers want people to reengage, don’t manage their attitude. Instead, change their experience.

“That means shared ownership, better leadership and actual accountability at the top,” she explained.

In the end, Epignosis’ Arora agreed quiet cracking certainly is a wakeup call for leadership.

“Employees want more than a paycheck; they want to be seen, heard and empowered to grow,” he said. “By reimagining total rewards through this lens, we can build workplaces where people thrive, not just survive.”

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