Wake up every day, go to work and make the most of your assigned tasks. But have you been having a “quiet crack” forever?
That’s completely possible.
What is a “quiet crack”?
“Quiet cracking” is the latest buzzword to describe the lack of fulfillment at work. It is often related to job satisfaction, workloads, or growth potential. And unlike a “quiet quit,” it may not necessarily show up in the performance of employees – just their happiness.
“We’ve seen a lot of experience in business,” said Wayne Hochwalter, senior professor at Florida State University’s College of Business. “Then three or five years… they start asking, “Are I really enjoying this? Do you think this is the way to get where I want to get?”
“Population at all levels”
It’s not just the young members of the workforce who feel free. A recent survey from The TalentLMS, which provides training resources for businesses, found that over half of respondents have experienced “quiet cracks” at work, with about 20% saying they have experienced “constantly.”
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A 2025 report from Gallup included nearly identical findings, indicating that 52% of North American employees were “not involved” in their work, while 17% were “actively released.” The same report shows that the disruption caused by the pandemic is a major factor, not the expectations of a one-year-old group.
“It’s not just an entry, it’s not a middle-level phenomenon. I don’t think that’s the case at all,” Hochwarter told Nexstar. “I think it’s pretty widespread on all levels.”
What are you driving?
Many of the TalentLMS research participants said that they were released because they didn’t feel safe at work, whether they were concerned about layoffs, lack of growth opportunities, or whether they could be replaced by artificial intelligence.
“Employees may secure their role today, but asking about tomorrow could significantly reduce their confidence,” Talentlms said of the survey participants.
“I think the big reason for this phenomenon is that employees don’t feel like they have control,” says Hochwarter. “Combine it with management. This is usually inappropriate to address these issues – and you’ve almost got this complete break-off storm.”
Hochwarter, a well-known research professor at UAE University, said that the issue of liberation in the healthcare industry is often aroused. Many nurses he spoke to feel they don’t nursing as much as they used to, but instead spend a considerable amount of time learning bureaucratic work and new record-keeping software, he said. He imagines that he can “talk and can’t” with educators, especially those who are instructed to “teach for the test.”
These professions, along with client-oriented jobs, can really stir up a sense of “compassion fatigue,” as experts call it.
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“You’re basically just tired of dealing with people’s crap,” Hochwalter said. “Even for ten minutes, when your work involves interactions with others and you can’t leave it, you tend to just get exhausted or worn out.”
Hochwarter also suspects the current workforce is more “uneasy” than in the past decades, perhaps due to looming concerns about AI, or the constant bombardment of confusing and often suppressed news stories.
“So when people got to work on Monday, they were ready to go.
Are there any modifications?
As to what can be done about this phenomenon, Gallup’s report suggests better training and coaching techniques for managers. But even Gallup admitted that the manager was one of the most freed employers in his company.
Meanwhile, employees may need to take a more proactive approach to take. This could lead to finding time to recharge physically or emotionally, or perhaps taking steps to move to adjacent departments, or even finding new jobs, Hochwarter said.
“We have to pay attention to our physical and mental health, look for opportunities to recover resources and be excited about something. And that means changing the environment.”
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