Culture rot is when everything that once made a company good gradually starts to disappear—resulting in sinking morale, low productivity, lots of gossip, quiet quitting, and overall cynicism. And it can cause big problems for everyone. Culture rot is when everything that once made a company good gradually starts to disappear—resulting in sinking morale, low productivity, lots of gossip, quiet quitting, and overall cynicism. And it can cause big problems for everyone.