Quiet cracking: The silent strain HR leaders can’t afford to miss

The past few years have given rise to multiple troublesome trends in the workplace. In 2021, we saw “The Great Resignation,” a phenomenon in which employees voluntarily resigned in record-setting numbers. In 2022, we saw a surge in “quiet quitting,” where employees reduced their effort to meet only the minimum expectations as a form of silent protest.  

Now, in 2025, a new trend has emerged: “quiet cracking”.  

Quiet cracking refers to a subtle and gradual form of employee dissatisfaction that can lead to disengagement, poor performance, and increased turnover. This rising workplace trend has also been referred to as “invisible burnout”, because management is often unaware of the mounting stress employees are under until productivity drops or key talent walks out the door.

As the trend of quiet cracking continues to gain momentum, it’s essential for organizational leaders to understand its causes, the associated risks, and how to effectively address it.  

What is quiet cracking?

Quiet cracking is an early symptom of burnout, where employees begin to feel disconnected and overwhelmed, but don’t vocalize their dissatisfaction.  

Unlike quiet quitting, which is a deliberate decision to disengage, quiet cracking reflects a passive and often unintended collapse in morale that may go overlooked until it is too late. Employees who are quietly cracking generally want to do a good job, but unmet needs have led to low morale and decreased productivity. Employees experiencing quiet cracking are struggling to perform at a high level to keep up with the demands of their job, whereas quiet quitters are solely focused on how to give the least amount of effort required to meet baseline expectations.

Quiet cracking is often a form of overcompensation for employees who may feel expendable, or uneasy about their status within an organization.  

Let’s take a closer look at some of the causes. 

Causes of quiet cracking

Quiet cracking is not emerging in a vacuum. Several overlapping forces are driving this behavior across industries and levels:

1. Employees don’t feel safe speaking up 

Many workplace cultures still reward those who appear to be the busiest. Employees who clock out on time, decline extra projects, or ask for deadline extensions can be subtly (or overtly) labeled as less committed. This pressure to constantly prove value can create a cycle where employees don’t feel comfortable expressing to management that they are struggling.

2. Economic instability and job insecurity 

The ripple effects of layoffs, hiring freezes, and cost-cutting measures can leave employees uneasy about their job security. Even those in stable roles can’t shake the anxiety that they might be next. This insecurity can compel workers to overload themselves with responsibilities without communicating to management that they are feeling overwhelmed.

3. Leadership ambiguity and poor communication 

When leadership is unclear or inconsistent about priorities or job expectations, employees are left to guess what’s needed to stay in good standing. Without transparency, workers often assume that more is better. More hours, more output, more availability. This guesswork can cause undue stress.

4. Social and professional comparison 

In an environment where everyone is already stretched thin, some employees take on even more work to keep pace with high-performing peers. What starts as ambition can quickly spiral into quiet cracking, as workers pile on responsibilities in hopes of gaining visibility or advancing their careers, even if it means sacrificing their own wellbeing. 

The hidden risks of quiet cracking

To the untrained eye, these employees may appear dedicated and driven, always saying yes, always delivering. But beneath the surface, this overextension comes with serious risks:

• Inevitable burnout: Over time, no one can sustain being overworked without consequences.

• Unplanned turnover: Employees who are quiet cracking often leave abruptly. To leadership, their departure is shocking because no distress signals were visible.

• Cultural erosion: When overwork is rewarded it creates a culture where boundaries are punished and exhaustion is normalized.

• Stifled innovation: Fear-driven work leads to safe, repetitive outputs. Employees who are overwhelmed are often unable to produce innovative work and instead opt to simply meet basic requirements, allowing them to quickly move on to the next project. 

How to spot quiet cracking in your workforce

Some signs include:

• Subtle signs of stress: irritability, fatigue, or minor health complaints.

• High performers turning in late or subpar work.

• Regular after-hours emails or weekend work, especially if unprompted.

• Reluctance to delegate tasks or ask for help, even when workloads are heavy.

• Skipping breaks or avoiding time off, despite having accrued vacation days.

Performance alone doesn’t tell the full story. Leaders need qualitative insight, frequent check-ins, and attentive observation to detect when overperformance is a mask for something deeper. 

What HR leaders can do to address quiet cracking

1. Train managers to ask better questions

Managers need to go beyond “how’s it going?” Equip them with tools to ask:

• “What’s your current workload capacity?”

• “How are you feeling about impending deadlines?”

• “Do you have bandwidth for more projects?"

• “Is there anything on your plate that feels unsustainable?”

• “What support would make your workload more manageable?”

Questions like these open the door to honest conversations without penalizing vulnerability.

2. Deploy pulse surveys

A pulse survey is a short, targeted questionnaire used to quickly gauge employee feedback. Regularly sending out pulse surveys helps gauge how employees are truly feeling. Ask pointed questions about workload, deadlines, and stress levels so that HR can work with managers to rebalance demands before cracks form.

Navigate’s employee wellbeing platform empowers leaders to quickly gather valuable employee feedback through our built-in communication tools.

3. Model healthy work behaviors

Leaders set the tone for the entire organization, whether they realize it or not. When executives and managers visibly respect boundaries by taking time off, logging off after hours, and disconnecting on weekends, it gives employees permission to do the same. This shows that protecting wellbeing is not just acceptable but necessary, and that self-care does not come at the expense of career growth.

4. Highlight mental health resources  

Many employees don’t utilize available mental health resources simply because they don’t know how to access them. Make sure employees are not only aware of available mental health resources but also understand how to access them easily and confidentially.  

The Navigate platform brings these resources together in one place, making it easier for employees to access the support they need. The platform offers on-demand learning for stress management and mindfulness, along with access to dedicated mental health coaching. This combination equips employees with both immediate tools and guided support to sustain their wellbeing. 

Building resilience before it breaks

Employees are suffering in silence because they believe that’s the only way to survive. The risk isn’t just employee burnout. It’s the slow erosion of culture, trust, and ultimately, the talent pipeline.

The good news is that quiet cracking is preventable. Leaders can identify warning signs early and create an environment where employees feel supported, not overextended. It starts with listening, transparency, and making wellbeing a shared priority.

Ready to see how Navigate can help your organization prevent quiet cracking? Book a personalized demo today.