It is December 2025. The office playlist is looping festive hits, and your team smiles during every Zoom call. But look closer. Are those smiles genuine, or are they a survival tactic? You might be witnessing workplace pleasanteeism. This phenomenon occurs when employees suppress their true stress levels to maintain a facade of “professional” cheerfulness.
In a year defined by a softening labor market and economic caution, many workers fear that admitting to stress looks like weakness. Consequently, they hide their burnout behind a mask. This silence is dangerous. When your team practices workplace pleasanteeism, they degrade the quality of information you receive. You believe everything is fine, while they secretly look for the exit.
Why Workplace Pleasanteeism Spikes Now
The holiday season acts as a pressure cooker. Recent data reveals that 57% of employees view the holidays as the most draining time of year, yet they feel pressured to appear happier than they actually are. The gap between their internal reality and their external display creates immense cognitive fatigue.
“Forced fun” events often make this worse. Mandating attendance at a holiday party when your team is already drowning in year-end deadlines signals that you value performance over their well-being. This disconnect drives workplace pleasanteeism deeper into your culture, as employees fake enjoyment to avoid being labeled a “Grinch”
Leadership Strategies to Stop Workplace Pleasanteeism
You must lower the cost of honesty. If you want to know how your team really feels, you must prove that you can handle the truth without penalizing them.
- Conduct Capacity Checks: Instead of adding more tasks, use your one-on-ones to subtract them. Ask explicitly: “What can we delay until January?” This simple question dismantles the pressure that fuels workplace pleasanteeism.
- Model Vulnerability: Leaders often think they need to be stoic. However, admitting you feel the holiday rush yourself gives your team permission to drop the act.
- Spot the Signs: Watch for generic positivity. If an employee always says, “I’m great!” but their work quality is slipping, they are likely masking a struggle.
The greatest gift you can offer your team in 2025 is not a party, but psychological safety. By actively identifying and reducing workplace pleasanteeism, you build a resilient culture grounded in reality, not performance. Do not let your team burn out in silence. Break the cycle of “brave faces” today, and you will secure a loyal, recharged workforce ready for the New Year.
