Do all your colleagues think you’ve got your life together at work—emails answered, deadlines crushed, boss totally fooled—but secretly you’re screaming into the void? Congratulations, you might be quiet cracking.
The shiny new term – coined by the workplace training company TalentLMS – describes that awkward stage between burnout and quiet quitting. You’re not phoning it in yet, but you’re definitely not okay.
Think of it like your career is holding a “this is fine” mug while the office is on fire. And you’re not the only one watching the room around you burn.
Quiet cracking is shockingly common
A new survey by Resume Templates found 59% of employees are currently in quiet cracking mode. Another 20% said they were recently. That’s almost 8 out of 10 workers who are either cracking now or just pieced themselves back together. So if the break room feels like a haunted house of tired smiles and forced “I’m good, how are you?”s, that’s why.
What’s making us crack?
What’s pushing people over the edge? The top culprits are:
- Too much work (43%)
- Personal life stress (40%)
- Bad bosses (36%)
- Repetitive, soul-sucking tasks (34%)
- Low pay (31%)
Just outside the top five were not being recognized (30%) and no room to grow (28%). Basically, people are overworked, underpaid, ignored, or stuck in career quicksand. Fun!
How are we coping?
Mostly by taking time off or secretly job hunting. In fact, 62% of quiet crackers admitted they’re at least somewhat likely to quit in the next six months. Translation: if your office feels stable now, just wait. The great resignation sequel is coming soon to a cubicle near you.
The big takeaway? Quiet cracking is basically the new burnout, but sneakier. If you’re crushing it at work while quietly unraveling, you’re not alone. Odds are, most of your coworkers are too. So maybe, just maybe, it’s time companies stop calling it “employee engagement” and start calling it what it really is: survival mode with a smile.