In the current business climate, employees aren’t just watching egg prices fluctuate — they’re walking on eggshells at work.
The latest report from HR platform BambooHR points to a paradox: While 84% of workers report job satisfaction, they’re simultaneously creating “work barriers” and obsessively documenting contributions to protect their positions.
“The eggshell economy perfectly captures what we’re seeing,” Kelsey Tarp, director of HR business partners at BambooHR, said during an conversation during the recent Workhuman Live HR conference in Denver. “People are holding back and being intentional about what they bring up.”
The study, based on a survey of more than 1,500 full-time employees this past March, reveals that despite high satisfaction rates, people are strategically protecting themselves, with nearly three-quarters actively working to ensure their contributions are visible to their entire team and more than half creating “work barriers” by deliberately making their roles harder to hand off. More than 2 in 5 are making themselves available after hours to demonstrate their commitment to their jobs, while nearly half maintain a detailed project log to prove their contributions.
These behaviors intensify among younger workers, with about half of Gen Z and millennial employees feeling pressured to stay connected beyond traditional hours.
Meanwhile, the workplace has become a minefield of potential missteps. Half of employees are more cautious about making jokes of any kind and admit to censoring their views more than ever before. Half of vp and C-suite level executives report being more cautious about social media after seeing their colleagues face consequences. Unsurprisingly, political discussions create less tension for remote workers (26%) than those in-office (38%), indicating that physical proximity amplifies sensitivities.
According to Tarp, this vigilance stems from uncertainty. “When people don’t know if they’re valued, they create barriers and silos,” she said. “Fear drives these behaviors.”
The struggle for recognition is particularly acute in leadership, with about half of executives feeling their accomplishments go unnoticed — more so than both managers (38%) and individual contributors (37%).
Workplace culture is being shaped by the trend. “What people can count on is the mission of your organization and values,” Tarp said. “My working definition of culture is a shared understanding of what’s OK and not OK. When people have that shared understanding and know expectations, it creates stability.”
This stability becomes crucial as jobs evolve with technology. “The skill that’s most critical is critical thinking and discernment,” Tarp said, discussing AI’s impact. “If you have people using these tools without applying the rigor for an output of quality that’s expected, nothing good comes after that.”
The study also underscores how financial security correlates with workplace satisfaction, with 95% of financially secure employees reporting job satisfaction versus 73% of those without savings.
Asked about how HR can foster authentic connection in this climate of caution, Tarp offers wisdom born from experience. “People are looking for a sense of community,” she said. “We need to treat opportunities to grow and develop people with the caring attention that makes it powerful. When giving feedback or recognition, I always push myself to identify the specific situation, behaviors and impact. Even when experimentation fails, if we capture those learnings correctly, we’re one step closer to meaningful impact — and that’s worth it.”