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From job security concerns to geopolitical turmoil, and cost-of-living pressures to executive mandates for AI adoption, it’s safe to say that employees are feeling the squeeze.
Such difficulties have prompted a trend dubbed “quiet cracking,” in which workers may not show obvious signs of complete burnout but silently battle with workplace unhappiness, causing negative but hidden impacts on engagement, performance, and retention.
Recognizing the ongoing challenges facing employees – and by extension, their managers, HR teams, and employers – EY’s Chief Wellbeing Officer Frank Giampietro has shared his guidance on what can be done.
EY chief issues wellbeing guidance
Poor mental wellbeing is surging across the American workforce in 2025. According to a Modern Health survey of 1,000 full-time US employees, heightened stress and low moods are being caused by political turmoil and tough economic circumstances across the globe.
Moreover, as workers attempt to manage these difficulties, wellbeing budgets are shrinking compared to pandemic levels. Employers are pushing for more productivity and higher performance levels, leaving many employees responsible for addressing their own poor mental health.
EY’s Chief Wellbeing Officer recently spoke to Business Insider, issuing words of guidance for workers.
Giampietro offered three tips that could also apply to HR or wellbeing teams looking to expand their support for staff.
Firstly, for employees to “control the controllables” – i.e., to try to avoid becoming overwhelmed by (global) issues out of their hands.
“It's really easy in an environment of uncertainty to spend a lot of time and energy thinking about things that are outside of their control, but that's going to be a real detractor to your personal wellbeing," he said.
According to Modern Health, 74% of workers want mental health resources specifically addressing global political turmoil, while 71% believe political tensions are making it harder to foster a positive workplace culture. 74% feel political uncertainty can lead to more burnout at work.
‘Set boundaries’ & ‘invest in development’
Following on from controlling the controllable, EY’s Chief Wellbeing Officer called on workers to focus on their personal development, rather than worrying about the future of their jobs.
"Make sure you're investing in your own development and growth," he added. "Are you going to have a skill set that's going to be enduring and that's going to be valued as AI continues to play a stronger and stronger role in the workforce?”
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In many cases, employees may have to lead this effort themselves rather than relying on their employer to offer training or career development opportunities. According to the TalentLMS study behind the ‘Quiet Cracking’ trend, 42% of over 1,000 surveyed US employees hadn’t received any employer-provided training in the last 12 months.
The same study found that employees without training were 140% more likely to feel job insecure, contributing to their poor mental wellbeing.
While Giampietro called for employees to invest in their own development, Nikhil Arora, CEO of TalentLMS parent company Epignosis, called for employers to give staff “space to grow through learning, skilling, and real conversations.
“It not only shows people they matter, but helps them rediscover a sense of purpose and forward momentum, something we all seek at work and in life,” Arora said.
The final piece of advice from EY’s wellbeing exec was for workers to firmly establish work-life balance.
“Be really clear about what you want out of your experience and set boundaries that allow you to be a great employee but also not be consumed by it,” Giampietro stated. “Make sure that you are also able to do what's important to you in the rest of your life outside of work.”
Getting that balance is proving a challenge for many employees, however. April’s TalentLMS study found that nearly one-third of workers (29%) are burdened with unmanageable workloads.
