Member-only story
The Great Resignation Has an Ugly Sequel — the Great Realization
But no one wants to talk about the flip side of the “dream”
It all started late last year and picked up steam in the spring of 2021, so much so that it was coined into a well-recognized term — the Great Resignation or its cousin the Big Quit.
The mass exodus of people from their current jobs, especially in America, but quite widespread across the world, was triggered by the pandemic but its roots are much deeper than the virus. The pandemic simply provided a time for people to reflect on their lives and weigh their priorities. The result was that many realized how frustrated they were in their golden handcuffs, and decided that this was it. They were no longer going to sell their soul for a few thousand dollars.
Work-life balance suddenly came to the fore. When they could do just as well at their “job” from the comfort of their homes, why would they ever want to go into a formal office setting? Moreover, if they could produce all this great quality work for a corporate employer in exchange for peanuts, wouldn’t they rather work for themselves and keep all the profits, rather than a fraction?
There is also the philosophical bit of it all. When life’s so damn uncertain that a random black swan event could claim millions of lives just like that, why’d you want to spend most of it slogging in a “9-to-5 job” — oh, the devil!
Last I checked, as recently as the September data, the Great Resignation seems to continue in full steam. The labor department’s data for September showed that a record 4.4 million people quit their jobs — or roughly 3% of the workforce.
This has created a job market where, for a change, the job seeker holds all the cards, and can negotiate higher salaries and better incentives, because the employers are struggling to find people who’ll work for them.
But how long can this last? Are we in truly utopian times when people can finally take control of their lives and do with them as they please? Are we past the time where a conventional job for a salary is the norm for the majority of the world’s population?
I think not. In fact, I believe that the Great Resignation will be followed by a…
