The Rise of Quiet Cracking: A Silent Struggle in the Workplace

Feeling stuck at work? Employees are increasingly experiencing "quiet cracking," a silent struggle with workplace unhappiness that leads to disengagement and reduced performance. This trend, a precursor to "quiet quitting," sees individuals performing their duties but feeling detached and unfulfilled. Many remain in their roles due to economic uncertainty, despite their dissatisfaction.Work cultures have rarely been enriching for employees. In today’s world, the pressure has only accelerated, with many struggling with targets, deadlines and a lack of appreciation.Of late, we saw employees ‘quiet quitting’, a rebellion of sorts, where they draw an invisible line around their work. Now, another trend is rising in the workplace – quiet cracking. Here’s everything you need to know about quiet cracking, and some of the warning signs that you should not ignore.What is quiet cracking?Quiet cracking is one of the initial signs of quiet quitting. So let’s understand quiet quitting first. Quiet quitting is when you give up being the best.This includes logging off on time, saying no to unpaid overtime work, and choosing rest over hustle. In short, quiet quitting is when you are doing the bare minimum tasks to keep your job, without any extra effort or overtime, according to Resume Builder.Workplace Anxiety Linked to Rising Health Issues Among EmployeesQuiet cracking, on the other hand, is when employeesshow up and do their job but struggle in silenceas they do it. The term was coined by cloud learning platform TalentLMS. According to their research, quiet cracking is a “persistent feeling of workplace unhappiness that leads to disengagement, poor performance, and an increased desire to quit”.by Taboolaby TaboolaSponsored LinksSponsored LinksPromoted LinksPromoted LinksYou May LikeNita Ambani unveils an innovative treehouse at Nita Mukesh...Sydney shooting: Bystander tackles gunman at Bondi Beach; heroic act caught on cameraThe Times of IndiaEmployees feel detached from work, but still stuckQuiet cracking leads to employee disengagement and dissatisfaction, which could also affect productivity. According to the report, 54% of employees experience some level of quiet cracking. The survey polled 1,000 employees in the United States in March. Quiet cracking and quiet quitting are two sides of the same coin. So why don’t they quit after all?“What we’ve seen in the market more recently is that a lot of folks are actually staying with their current employers, but they’re not actually thriving at work,” Frank Giampietro, EY Americas’ chief well-being officer, told Business Insider.Even if they are unhappy in their roles, many employees are continuing with their firms due to economic uncertainty and current job market challenges.“A lot of folks actually feel stuck where they are, and it’s not necessarily that they’re making a choice around continuing to be there, but it’s that they don’t have other choices available to them that are better,” he added.Warning signs of quiet crackingQuiet cracking is different from occasional burnout. The latter hits suddenly with total depletion, while quiet cracking builds slowly, like hairline fractures.As per Giampietro, quiet cracking may look similar to burnout but is not necessarily as extreme. The warning signs of quiet cracking include:Physical symptoms: being sick or fatigued, complaining of headaches more than usual.Strong performers not delivering in the same way.Less optimism.You show up, but not as bright and enthusiastic as before.Aseesinder Kaur Khurana, a counselling psychologist at Rocket Health, told Harper’s Bazaar that quiet cracking is a form of functional burnout. This may lead to both physical and mental challenges. “Emotional suppression becomes a survival strategy, but the cost is internalised by the body and mind. Sleep falters, focus fades, irritability rises. Even joy starts to disappear. You stop feeling alive,” she said.Quiet cracking is more than an employee well-being issue; it impacts the business as well. When an employee cracks, it affects productivity and creativity, and loyalty is certainly off the table.Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here