Quiet cracking, the fundamental erosion of workplace satisfaction from within...

The external veneer says “all is well” but underneath you’re just about holding your shit together. You’re feeling constantly overwhelmed, disengaged, or insecure but don't – or daren’t – outwardly express these feelings or leave, instead staying and struggling silently. It’s hardly a phenomenon that many of us haven’t experienced in one form or another at some point but now it has a label and with that label comes a wider recognition of its existence and its need to be addressed.

Quiet cracking, as it’s known, could just be the silent crisis reshaping the workplace. According to recent 2025 research in the US by Learning LMS, one in five employees apparently say they’re stuck in a persistent state of workplace unhappiness leading to disengagement, poor performance or an intent to leave. A lack of connection is also cited as a key factor in quiet cracking with employees saying they are experiencing what researchers called “managerial disconnect.”

The same survey found that 47% of employees were experiencing quiet cracking saying that their managers did not listen to their concerns whilst a Gallup’s report from 2023 points to a similar conclusion with only 10% of UK workers found to be feeling engaged with their jobs, 40% of employees were found to be experiencing daily stress and 27% reported feeling daily sadness.

Wow! If true, quiet cracking might just be the fundamental erosion of workplace satisfaction from within. Unlike burnout, it doesn't always manifest in exhaustion and unlike quiet quitting, it doesn't show up in performance metrics immediately.

This should be a wakeup call for many organisations if they want to engage – and retain – their core talent but if you recognise the symptoms there is also action individuals can take as well.

It’s often hard to think with clarity in the face of such constant overwhelm, disengagement and insecurity but it’s still possible to take back some control and get on the front foot again whilst you wait for your employer to catch up.

You can start by defining what you really want and what will leave you feeling fulfilled. Equally, try and identify what is draining your energy and once you understand this it’s possible to create a longer-term vision and understand the changes required and the next steps to change your current situation.

Prioritise and organise tasks focussing on what will yield the most results and, wherever possible, elevate the ones that also make you feel more engaged and energised to the top of your to-do-list.

Embrace the concept of mindfulness as the act of awareness that creates space from what you are doing, what you are feeling and what you are experiencing to create a moment of respite or conscious observation. Whatever ‘stepping away’ means for you personally to create the space to consider and retain your sense of perspective and control take it.

Be realistic about what’s within your remit and capability to affect and what isn’t. Understand what you can do to change your current situation and just as importantly what you can’t change. Don’t burn cycles and energy on stuff that’s outside your control.

Admittedly easier said than done at times but try and establish healthy boundaries and crucially hold yourself accountable for maintaining them. Everyone has and needs boundaries which are essential for managing stress and anxiety. Try not to lose control of yours.

Exercise can also be a great means to address some of our very natural fight-or-flight emotions. Not for everyone for sure but the benefits emotionally and physically of using exercise to detach from other more stressful aspects of life is well documented. Give it a try!

It’s only natural to feel stuck, unheard or unsure about the future when disengagement creeps in but opening up the space to create or recreate perspective and grow is one of the most powerful ways to turn things around.

A good coach will also help you to find the space that you need ro regain that perspective, identify the root cause of your disengagement and help you see with renewed clarity and purpose how you can retake control of your situation and hold yourself accountable for your growth.