Tech Shame
The feeling of embarrassment or judgment an employee experiences when they have a technical problem at work, such as a video call glitch.
Explanation
Tech shame describes the anxiety some employees feel about being seen as incompetent when they struggle with technology in front of colleagues, which can make them avoid speaking up in meetings or asking for help. A 2022 HP survey of 10,000 office workers, part of its "Hybrid Work: Are We There Yet?" report, found that one in five younger workers reported feeling this way, compared to about one in 25 older workers, roughly ten times the rate. For workplace and internal-communications teams, it points to a real barrier to participation and psychological safety, especially for younger employees in hybrid and remote-first teams.
Usage context / examples
HP's own "Hybrid Work: Are We There Yet?" survey report is the documented source of the one-in-five versus one-in-25 finding widely cited when the term is discussed.
Related terms
Turkish definition
Bir çalışanın, işte teknik bir sorun yaşadığında yargılanma korkusuyla hissettiği utanma duygusu.