What is quiet cracking? Is it happening in Washington?

It's been three years since COVID first hit and we're still refining what it is to be “at work”. At first, anybody who could work remotely from home was asked to do so. Then, as restrictions eased, many of those people wanted to continue to work from home but many businesses said no, you have to come back to the office. 

At the same time, something called the Great Resignation occurred. Workers that decided they had just had enough, and it was time for a career change. The thought was it was better to be out of work than to stay where they were.  

millennials were starting to come into the workplace and a new trend began to occur called quiet quitting. Workers who just decided it was time to move on and didn't really care to have an exit interview, they just wanted to go.  

Now we have something new and insidious. It's called quiet cracking. 

According to msn.com,
‘The newest trend, “quiet cracking,” coined by TalentLMS, describes ongoing burnout and stagnation leading to disengagement and poor performance. Their research shows 20% of employees experience it frequently, and 34% occasionally.’ 

Quiet quitting is visible, the employee leaves, they don't come back. Quiet cracking is very different. Employees are dissatisfied and feel cut off from their managers. They feel like there's no possibility for advancement in their career. 

Quiet quitting is not really new, it's been around for decades, it's just that we're recognizing it now. 

A survey done by TalentLMS Of 1000 US employees shows a few trends when it comes to employee concerns. 

• Economic uncertainty 

• Workload and job expectations 

• Poor leadership or uncertain company direction 

• Layoffs or restructuring 

• Lack of career advancement opportunities 

The solution to the problem sounds simple, but it's not easy to implement. Open lines of communication to re-engage employees. Open up opportunities for advancement. Create opportunities for growth and education.  

Employees that feel undervalued, underperform. Employees that have received training in the last year feel more secure and valued in their job.
'Quiet cracking' is the dangerous new trend affecting millions of workers — why it's happening and how to spot it