The Great Resignation

"Please be patient with us - we are understaffed."

You might have noticed this sign in the storefront windows of many businesses lately - from shops to restaurants.

While some people have the luxury of doing their jobs at home, other employees have seen layoffs and even lost their jobs as their businesses ultimately couldn't recover from the lockdowns. 

Over the last two years, job security and financial worry have created a lot of stress as the economy was thrown into an uncertain situation.

Adding inflation to the mix and supply issues across the board from the automotive and food industries only add to this economic tension.

Because of this anxiety, people are reflecting on their current job situations, as how people view their jobs and careers has shifted since COVID began.

Despite financial uncertainty, a wave of people are quitting their jobs in "The Great Resignation", a movement where people quit en masse because they are dissatisfied with their current job situation and hope to pursue something better.

According to a recent survey by ADP Canada Co., roughly a quarter of Canadian workers (24 per cent) have changed jobs recently to take chances on new job opportunities.

With that said, you're probably asking yourself: Why are people just quitting their jobs if there's so much uncertainty? There are so many places hiring, so why aren't people working?

The best way to describe the "Great Resignation" is to describe it as a moment of clarity. The metaphorical light bulb went off in employees' heads everywhere - and they found out what they wanted in terms of job fulfillment.

During the pandemic, some employees felt one of three things:

1. They questioned their mortality - with everyone getting sick from the virus and some even dying, people had a "midlife crisis" and asked why they were wasting their time at a job they hated. They might as well stop wasting their time and focus on what they genuinely want to do.
2. They saw behind the corporate curtain - Companies showed their true colours during the pandemic. Employees saw if the company they work for truly cared about them or if they were "just a number" who could be easily replaced. If they weren't treated well, they'll find somewhere else that could give them the respect they deserve.
   
3. Employees realize their self-worth - Employees recognize that they either don't get paid enough, are overworked, or don't get enough work/life balance from their current job, so they want to look for it elsewhere.

Besides "The Great Resignation", there's also the term "quiet quitting" that you may see popping up.
"Quiet Quitting" describes workers who only do the bare minimum or the very basic requirements of their job to keep control of their mental health by limiting the scope of their contributions to the company.
In addition, they put their well-being first by maintaining boundaries between themselves and their careers.

Overall, the pandemic has shown a shift in work culture and has offered employees a renewed sense of how much they're worth. 
If the company doesn't pay their workers enough for the work that they do or don't treat them like they should, then employees will move on to something more fulfilling.  

Although, this rise in quitting and the hesitancy to work has adverse effects and, unfortunately, comes at a cost.

Next week, make sure to keep an eye out for the second part of this blog series about the downsides of "The Great Resignation".