The workplace has become a stage. Employees perform a version of themselves that fits. They hide their politics, their identities, their struggles, their beliefs. They cover. They code-switch. They disappear into roles.
The data confirms it. About 62% of workers globally say they hide aspects of themselves at work in 2025, a bump from 55% in 2024, according to Randstad’s Workmonitor report. For U.S. workers, it is worse. About 70% of North American employees are being secretive about themselves on the job. Gen Z is the most likely to hide parts of themselves at 68%, while only 52% of baby boomers do the same .
Why This Happens
The world feels divided. That tension carries into the workplace. Workers fear being judged or discriminated against for opening up, especially around sensitive topics like politics or identity. “Increasingly, workers are avoiding discussing potentially sensitive topics, like politics, in the workplace,” says Sander van ’t Noordende, CEO of Randstad.
The rollback of DEI initiatives has made this worse. Companies like Lowe’s, Walmart, Harley Davidson, and Nissan have retreated from commitments to belonging. When organizations signal that inclusion is optional, employees learn that authenticity is risky.
Trust is the casualty. Only 49% of workers trust their employer to build a working culture where everyone can thrive . When trust is that low, hiding becomes rational. Self-protection becomes strategy.
Gen Z is particularly affected. They grew up on the internet. They have seen what happens when people expose too much. They understand backlash. They understand consequences. Van ’t Noordende says this generation navigates “the tension between expressing individuality and avoiding the negative repercussions of misaligned workplace cultures”.
Gen Z wants authenticity from their employers. They want values alignment. But as the youngest and most junior employees, they have the least power. They are the most vulnerable to retaliation. They are the least consequential to protect.
Why This Will Continue
The conditions that create this fear remain unchanged. Leaders avoid difficult conversations. Organizations retreat from inclusion commitments. Employees learn that authenticity carries risk. So they cover.
Covering is exhausting. It requires constant vigilance. It requires monitoring every interaction. It requires performing a version of yourself that feels false. The energy spent hiding is energy not spent working. It is energy not spent connecting. It is energy not spent innovating.
The cost extends beyond the individual. When employees hide, teams lose the diversity of thought that drives innovation. When employees hide, colleagues never truly know each other. When employees hide, belonging becomes impossible.
Randstad’s data shows that 85% of employees say a sense of belonging improves their performance and wellbeing. Yet 63% report hiding aspects of themselves at work. The gap between what employees need and what they experience is enormous.
How Moody At Work Resolves This Issue
Moody At Work helps organizations create cultures where honesty is safe. Through continuous engagement tracking, companies identify where fear is highest. Anonymous feedback channels reveal what employees cannot say directly. Recognition programs reinforce belonging. Real time data enables leaders to measure psychological safety and act on what they learn.
The 62% is not inevitable. It is a consequence of cultures that punish authenticity. Moody At Work helps organizations build cultures that reward it.
When employees feel safe being themselves, they engage fully. When they feel safe, they contribute ideas. When they feel safe, they build relationships. When they feel safe, they perform at their best.
The choice is clear. Continue building cultures where 62% hide. Or build cultures where authenticity is the norm. Moody At Work makes that choice possible.
Source: Randstad Workmonitor 2025, Fortune