There are a number of things that we expect to crack!
Eggs in the morning, that secret bar of chocolate when you help yourself to a square, and your mobile phone screen after frustratingly dropping it onto the pavement.
But have you ever considered that your employees are quietly cracking too?
Under the weight of rising demands, shifting expectations and invisible pressures, the rise of “quiet quitting” has dominated headlines. But the truth is far more complex. Many employees aren’t quitting quietly — they’re quietly cracking. They’re exhausted, disengaged, stretched thin and feeling undervalued in a world where the pace never slows and the demands never ease.
And unlike a cracked screen or a fragile eggshell, the signs aren’t always obvious. In fact, they’re often silent.
Why employees are cracking, not quitting
For years, employers have often looked towards the wrong signals. They watch for attendance dips, missed deadlines, and noticeable disengagement. But today’s workforce has learned to mask those signs. Employees show up, cameras on, inboxes open — yet many are emotionally drained or stretched to breaking point behind the scenes.
In fact, according to our research, quiet cracking is becoming an increasingly prominent workplace phenomenon – with seven in ten (69%) employers fearing that their workers are experiencing it.
The challenge for companies is that the issue does not appear overnight, rather it’s a gradual process that eventually wears an employee out. Equally, due to its slow burning nature, it is a hidden workplace risk and often one that can impact both an employee’s mental health and business performance if left unaddressed.
Some reasons include:
- Changing work models: Hybrid and remote work offer flexibility, but they also blur boundaries.
- Rising personal responsibilities: Caring for children, ageing relatives, and even managing personal health often sits beside full-time workloads.
- The cost of living crisis: Financial stress is one of the leading contributors to anxiety and burnout. When every bill feels heavier, small pressures feel bigger.
- Emotional load: Many employees are navigating invisible, and they do so while trying to remain “professional” and composed.
The result? A workforce that keeps going… until they can’t.
By the time an employer has realised someone is unhappy, much of the time it’s too late. We found that 46% of employees wouldn’t let on to their manager if they were unhappy at work – making workplace issues such as quiet cracking at work particularly difficult to spot.
Recognising the signs of quiet cracking
Employees don’t always vocalise their struggles, and leaders need to tune into the subtle signals. These might include:
- Increased tiredness or erratic energy levels
- Reduced creativity or initiative
- Difficulty concentrating
- Less participation in conversations or meetings
- Withdrawal from social or team-building activities
- A constant state of “coping mode” rather than thriving
These signs are not about poor performance — they’re early indicators that someone is running out of capacity.
And the sooner organisations recognise them, the sooner they can intervene.
Why wellbeing support matters
Wellbeing is an engagement engine and one of the most effective performance levers a company has.
Employees see the impact too. Our research has found that:
- 56% of people said the quality of their benefits package has an impact on their morale at work and the same number
- 56% say that accessing health and wellbeing benefits through work – such as private healthcare and gym memberships – has improved their physical and mental health.
And employers agree, with 95% seeing a productivity improvement when increasing health and wellbeing benefits. Benefits and wellbeing are becoming the new language of loyalty and it’s time to treat wellbeing like an investment, not a cost.
The message is simple: wellbeing drives performance. While there is no silver bullet, a compelling reward proposition does have a key role to play in helping to boost value for money and enhance employee productivity – leading to happier, healthier and more valued employees.
Reversing the trend
Employers have a key role to play in helping employees be healthier, happier and feel valued and can deliver effective support through employee reward packages to support with mental health at work.
Thriving employees don’t appear by accident. They’re the result of environments where wellbeing is integrated into everyday working life — not just celebrated during awareness weeks or in policy documents.
Want to find out more about how you can reverse the trend?
Join Epassi’s webinar
Later this month, benefits guru Joy Waugh will be joined by wellbeing expert, Ruth Hutchinson, to explore how employers can reimagine wellbeing, personalisation and recognition, helping employees to feel valued in a world of constant change.
The duo will look at the actionable insights from our latest research into the UK employee wellbeing landscape, wellbeing risks and engagement gaps, and the strategies and targeted interventions that transform disengaged employees into high-performing, valued team members.
? Date: Wednesday 25th March 2026
? Time: 12pm BST
? Register here:
About the author
Josh Sweetman-Lemay is a content manager for Epassi UK. With over 25 years in the UK wellbeing sector, Epassi are on a mission to create a fitter, happier and productive workforce. Their employee benefit schemes, available through salary deduction or self-paid schemes, focus on three key areas of wellbeing:
- Personal fitness
- Physical health
- Active lifestyle
To find out how you can boost the wellbeing of your team with discounted gym memberships, health assessments and more with the UK’s largest health and fitness network, click here.
You might also like:
