Nearly 4 in 10 U.S. workers say they’ve cried on the job, according to Resume Now’s Quiet Cry Report, highlighting the emotional strain many employees are experiencing in today’s workplace.
The tears happen everywhere, from desks and stairwells to the privacy of employees’ cars. Aside from the 39% of respondents who admitted to crying at work, 21% say they’ve come close, revealing an additional portion of the workforce that’s stretched thin beneath a calm exterior.
The report points to job insecurity as a major concern. More than half of employees, 52%, fear they could lose their jobs without warning, even when they’ve done nothing wrong. That uncertainty casts a shadow over daily tasks, turning routine work into a source of chronic tension.
The emotional strain also shows up in other behaviors. Venting has become a workplace norm, with 55% of employees regularly complaining to friends, coworkers or online communities about their jobs. Many are also preparing to leave before they ever announce it, with 41% of employees updating their résumés during work hours.
Disengagement is another signal of dissatisfaction. Half of workers (49%) admit to using work time for personal tasks. When they mentally check out, only 40% try to re‑engage, while 13% say they “do the bare minimum.”
These findings paint a portrait of a workforce that shows up every day carrying an emotional load — one an employer may not see but that employees feel deeply.