Resenteeism at work: When eye rolls replace resignations

This week in workplace whiplash 🌀

From eye-roll fatigue to mental health economics, here’s what had HR teams triple-checking their inboxes this week:

• 🧠 Why 28 days matters for mental health
  The Financial Times spotlights a UK university toolkit helping staff return to work after mental-health absences. If employees don’t return within 28 days, their odds of coming back plummet.
  👉 Financial Times

•  😤 Boss slams RTO for Mmssing the real issue
  HP Australia’s Brad Pulford says return-to-office mandates won’t fix productivity—not when engagement is the real culprit. He notes 73% of staff want flexibility, and 92% would even take a pay cut to keep it.
  👉 News.com.au

• 💼 Google tightens hybrid, pushes buyouts
  As AI projects gain ground, Google is now rolling out stricter hybrid rules (three days in for those within 50 miles) and offering voluntary buyouts—raising questions about morale and retention.
  👉 Business Insider

• 💻 Dell’s RTO backfires, gossipy hallways
  Since Dell enforced full-day office attendance in March, inconsistency in manager enforcement has sparked tension, gossip, and even perceptions of unfairness among staff.
  👉Business Insider

While return-to-office mandates dominate headlines, a quieter workplace threat is showing up with crossed arms and eye rolls. Read more below…

You’ve heard of quiet quitting, presenteeism, and burnout - but there’s a new, not so quiet, kid on the block. ‘Resenteeism’ is what happens when your employees are still showing up, but they’re not hiding how miserable they are about it.

According to the 2025 Ivanti "Technology at Work" report, 48% of employees feel resentful towards their job, and 37% exhibit presenteeism. This isn’t just a shift in mood, it’s a warning light on the dashboard of your company culture. 

🤝 Supported by Guidde

🎥 Guidde - Create how-to video guides fast and easy with AI

Tired of explaining the same thing over and over again to your colleagues?

It’s time to delegate that work to AI. Guidde is a GPT-powered tool that helps you explain the most complex tasks in seconds with AI-generated documentation.

1️⃣ Share or embed your guide anywhere

2️⃣ Turn boring documentation into stunning visual guides

3️⃣ Save valuable time by creating video documentation 11x faster

Simply click capture on the browser extension and the app will automatically generate step-by-step video guides complete with visuals, voiceover and call to action.

The best part? The extension is 100% free

Check out Guidde

🫥 So what is resenteeism (and why is it surging now)?

Coined by UK HR software company RotaCloud, resenteeism captures the mood of employees who feel stuck in a job they don’t like - but can’t or won’t leave. Picture low morale, visible dissatisfaction, and just enough effort to stay employed.

Unlike quiet quitting, which simmers silently, resenteeism is performative. Think eye rolls in meetings, passive-aggressive Slack replies, and the slow leak of team morale. It’s presenteeism’s moodier, more sarcastic sibling - and it’s having a moment.

Why? Because the perfect storm is here:

• Job market anxiety: even top talent is too nervous to move (Forbes)

• Return-to-office mandates: killing flexibility and boosting frustration (NorthBay Biz)

• Burnout hangovers: emotional reserves are tapped out

• Career stagnation: promotions feel out of reach, and development budgets have shrunk

• Generational honesty: Gen Z isn’t pretending to love the grind (Glamour UK) 

📈 Why it matters

Resenteeism rarely shows up in performance reviews, but it’s there, quietly corroding your culture. They’re not walking out; they’re quietly souring the team dynamic from their swivel chairs.

Here’s what makes it dangerous:

• It spreads: Negativity moves faster than a Slack thread

• It undermines: Trust in leadership takes a hit

• It lingers: You don’t see it until it’s embedded in team dynamics

As The Guardian points out, resenteeism is a toxic blend of presenteeism and powerlessness. It’s not just bad vibes, it’s a slow cultural rot. eLearning Industry even calls it a “hidden productivity killer”.

🔧 What HR can actually do

Here’s the difficult part: resenteeism isn’t laziness. It’s often a rational response to a workplace that feels stuck, unresponsive, or unkind. So we need to:

1. Spot it early - don’t wait for exit interviews. Look for:

• Cynicism or sarcasm in meetings

• A drop in effort, but not attendance

• Public complaints about leadership, policy, or workloads (AIHR)

2. Create ventilation channels - employees will air their grievances - better it’s in structured forums than whispered behind backs.

• Offer anonymous feedback tools

• Run safe-space listening sessions

• Coach managers to treat feedback like a roadmap, not a personal attack.

3. Make career growth visible - people need to see momentum. When career growth is hidden or ambiguous, it’s easy to assume nothing’s changing.

• Publish internal mobility stats

• Show examples of cross-functional moves

• Reward lateral growth, not just vertical

4. Rebuild trust - If your workforce feels like leadership is gaslighting them with perks and pizza, it’s time to:

• Be transparent about business challenges

• Admit when policies backfire

• Let go of the "positivity only" culture

💬 Final thoughts

Sure, you can’t fix someone’s mood, but you can design a workplace where it doesn’t fester into culture rot. Resenteeism may sound like another HR buzzword, but behind it is something real: employees who are showing up, speaking out, and slowly checking out.

Turnover is visible. This? Not so much. And that makes it even more important to catch. So the next time you hear an exasperated sigh or catch an eyeroll on Zoom? It might be more than just a bad day. It might be your culture waving a red flag.