Silence in the workplace: Quiet this, quiet that

Just a disclaimer, this opinion piece does not refer to the post-apocalyptic horror film “A Quiet Place,” where actors have very few speaking lines; otherwise, they encounter a noise-sensitive, alien-like creature that will “silence” them.

Recently, while inside a Grab ride on my way to work, I came across a Business Insider article in my feed titled, “Step aside, quiet quitting. Now, employers have to worry about ‘quiet cracking.’” It made me wonder: how many other “quiet” phenomena are there aside from the well-known Quiet Quitting and now, Quiet Cracking?

With the help of ChatGPT, I asked what other “quiet” buzzwords exist. It generated four more terms that fall in between Quiet Quitting and Quiet Cracking.

Quiet Quitting became a buzzword in mid-2022, going viral on TikTok before spreading into mainstream media. The World Economic Forum (2022) defined it as “doing what’s required and then getting on with your life—having more work-life balance.” Soon after Quiet Firing emerged, the employer-side counterpart, popularized in late 2022, followed. According to Gallup (2022), this phenomenon “describes how managers fail to adequately provide coaching, support, and career development to an employee, which results in pushing the employee out of an organization.”

Next was Quiet Hiring, another employer response that gained traction in early 2023. The Society for Human Resource Management (2023) explained this practice as one where “employers fill talent gaps by shifting employees around and hiring contractors or part-time workers.” Later that year, Quiet Cutting entered the spotlight. Forbes (2023) described it as “an old practice with a new name” and a “controversial leadership strategy” in which “employers reassign workers to new roles in hopes they will eventually quit so the company saves the cost of severance.”

After this string of employer-driven trends, the focus shifted back to employees. The next widely discussed practice was Quiet Thriving, which rose in 2023 to early 2024. In a LinkedIn article, NeuCode Talent Academy (2024) referred to it as “a silent rebellion” and a healthier approach to work. Employees who engage in quiet thriving are proactive, intentionally seeking joy, purpose, and growth while safeguarding their well-being.

The most recent buzzword is Quiet Cracking. The Economic Times (2025) described it as “a new workplace crisis” costing $438 billion and damaging workers’ health. In Business Insider, Jackson (2025) likened it to a form of silent burnout or breakdown under stress.

Although labeled as new, most of these “Quiet” trends are old workplace practices resurfacing with fresh names. The business environment has become increasingly complex, especially after the pandemic—and we will likely see more such trends emerge in the months and years ahead.

To end this article, I asked ChatGPT whether we might encounter new workplace practices similar to the Quiet Series. While it was cautious, noting that “each ‘quiet’ has reflected a real workplace undercurrent that people didn’t want to name outright until the buzzword gave it shape,” it still suggested possible future additions: Quiet Returning, Quiet Skipping, Quiet Stacking, Quiet Surviving, and Quiet Drifting. I’ll revisit these concepts if and when they unfold.

Now that we are aware of these workplace experiences, are we doing something about it? Do we still make the effort to create a work environment that is truly conducive to productivity and well-being? Or are we simply waiting for the next buzzword to trend?

While I was writing this piece, I discussed it with my wife, Carissa, who asked me a few simple but striking questions: Why is it all quiet? Is it a failure of communication? Have we forgotten how to express our thoughts and feelings openly?

Perhaps that is the real issue behind the Quiet Series. These trends are not just made-up buzzwords but signs of a workplace culture where silence has become safer than speaking up. Until we relearn how to talk to each other honestly—employers to employees, leaders to teams, colleagues to colleagues—the next “quiet” trend will keep emerging.

Read More at: https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/09/02/business/top-business/silence-in-the-workplace-quiet-this-quiet-that/2176940 

Dr. Cholo Javier is a part-time faculty member of the Department of Decision Sciences and Innovation at De La Salle University. He is also the Associate Dean of Assumption College San Lorenzo. His email address is cholo.javier@dlsu.edu.ph