Resignation, regret, quiet quitting?

Last week I touched on the topic of work and well-being. The focus was on how companies could improve their workplace operations and policies to help ensure that they still prioritize employees’ health, wellness, and overall happiness. This was an extremely timely topic as employees and employers strive to find a new balance post-pandemic. A balance that is still shifting and adjusting even now.

In 2021 there was a significant phenomenon called “The Great Resignation” or the “Big Quit” or “Great Reshuffle.” Many employees left their jobs and moved to new ones during COVID-19 because of shifting priorities. Many factors included unsatisfactory wages, rising cost of living or even avoiding long commutes. One of the things that this mass turnover revealed was that the pandemic had changed how people think and this wasn’t going to go back to normal even as restrictions eased.

I think it was a considerable learning experience for employers as well. The status quo had remained the same for so long that working long hours, burning out, and stress were just part of the norm. However, when the global pandemic hit, health became a bigger priority. More people weren’t willing to sacrifice their wellness for their work. Safety was a big issue too. Many workers looked for jobs with better remote working policies and those who compromised to help employees navigate the best of both worlds.

You can’t blame them. After all, one thing the pandemic showed us was that working remotely was possible and productive. Many companies did well during the pandemic despite the uncertainty. Workers found they could be just as effective at home as they could in the office, and they also were able to save money on the everyday commute and logistics.

However, it was never going to stay one-sided forever. Everyone knew that as restrictions eased and people were allowed to go out again, it was only a matter of time before people had to return to the office. What most were looking for was more flexible work arrangements or hybrid work. There is still so much benefit to working in person with a team – that can’t be denied. But there are also many aspects of work that employees can do remotely.

But even as I wrote this piece last week about new trends in working, I saw some other pieces that talked about many regrets following the resignation trend. While some workers were happier in their new jobs or a new way of living, many regretted leaving what they knew for something new that didn’t pan out. While regrets, in some form, are often to be expected in life changes, this also made raised questions whether the mass turnover in 2021 was made in haste and would backfire as life returned to normalcy.

I think it’s too early to tell as far as backfiring. While many workers may have wished they didn’t act too hastily, many still found more happiness in a new way of living and working. The biggest takeaway for workers and businesses is that employers must evolve. They must focus on creating a toxic-free work environment and culture, with good leaders who can inspire and convince workers to stay.

Employee engagement is more critical than ever, beyond just creating fun programs and games for the staff. This means reaching out to your people and discovering what is important to them. Is it better working conditions, wage negotiation or flexible work arrangements? There should be a healthy discussion to find a suitable middle ground where everyone is happy.

Ironically, after the “Great Resignation” and the succeeding great regret, there is another workplace trend I am seeing that is slowly gaining popularity. It’s called “Quiet Quitting,” and it is becoming quite popular online, especially on social media platforms like Tik Tok. It doesn’t actually mean quitting your job – it just means doing your job with boundaries and not going above and beyond every time.

The term refers to the main issues that cause people to resign – overworking, long hours, and no work-life balance. These are the main factors in employee turnover, and quiet quitting is all about addressing these factors without leaving your job. And it doesn’t mean slacking off either – it just means doing what you need to do, no more and no less. This could mean shutting down the laptop at a particular time and not taking messages 24/7 on your phone or messenger apps. It could mean carving out more family time outside of work. Essentially it means making time to care for yourself.

The revelation of quiet quitting is straightforward. It means finding ways to see how work fits into your life instead of the other way around. This could be a healthy way of defining work-life balance. For employers, as long as employees do their jobs well, quiet quitting shouldn’t present problems. However, if you need them to go above and beyond or work overtime, they should be compensated for it, which is only fair.

We aren’t returning to the status quo despite alert levels falling and more people being back out and about. Even as we strive to get things “back to normal,” the fact remains that things have changed. Now it’s our turn to decide if this change will be for the better.