Burned-out Gen Z working professionals are sneaking away from their desks during lunch breaks to find secluded spots like fitting rooms, movie theatres, subway stations, where they can nap or cry without colleagues watching.
Nearly half of Gen Z office workers have been reduced to tears by workplace stress, and some are sneaking away from their desks to cry on their lunch break. The behaviour, which spread widely through TikTok, ranges from workers so stressed from their jobs that they are seeking out fitting rooms, train stations, and anywhere secluded to have a nap and a cry during their lunch break.
One widely shared account involved Ben Sanderson, who spent $15 on a movie ticket he never planned to use for the film he sank into the theatre's recliner, pulled his beanie over his eyes, and fell asleep, walking out ninety minutes later feeling like a new person before heading straight back to his desk. When he posted about it on TikTok, over a million people watched, with users sharing their own favourite spots.
The emotional strain runs deeper than viral videos suggest. Research from resume.io reveals that emotional strain is becoming increasingly widespread across the workforce, giving rise to a trend dubbed "cry masking" where employees who are emotionally overwhelmed go to great lengths to conceal it from colleagues, hiding tears, suppressing breakdowns, and performing composure while privately struggling. Nearly four in ten Gen Z workers (38.71%) say they have cried at work in the last six months alone.
The numbers point to a deeper disengagement. The largest 2025 survey of young new hires in the U.K. revealed that around 40% seriously considered quitting within their first year in a corporate job. Return-to-office mandates have brought back more than just commutes increased face time has come with reports of backstabbing, finger-pointing, credit-stealing, and calculated sabotage.
What is especially concerning is how many workers feel they need to hide their emotions out of fear of hurting their professional reputation or career trajectory and when employees do not feel safe being honest about stress or mental health challenges, it affects not just their well-being but also engagement, productivity, retention, and culture.
