POV: Enough about quiet quitting and the Great Resignation. We need to talk about job opportunity
9 Nov 2022
What’s life like for workers now? Somewhere between terrible and meh, based on a quick scan of the news. We’re all enduring the Great Resignation, the Great Reshuffle, the Great Rethink. Whatever you call it, it feels like the opposite of great. Companies are coping with an epidemic of quiet quitting (the Chinese call it “laying flat”), where no sane employee willingly puts in more than the bare minimum. And why should they, since most workplaces are “toxic,” and “burnout” is endemic?
To be fair, the headlines capture hard truths. Too many employers did get away with treating workers transactionally, particularly those in lower-paid roles: You give, they take. When life is short, as the pandemic reminded us, where, how, and with whom we spend our time deserves serious attention. Much of today’s heartfelt work-life debate reflects a healthy and necessary rebalancing.