There has been quite a lot of activity around work since Covid struck in 2020. New movements along the way include the Great Resignation when people began reassessing their employment choices and commitments and decided to take a break from work. Some have made their choices permanent. Others have re-entered the workforce in higher paying jobs, new careers or gone back to school for additional credentials.
Quiet Quitting is also very new trend. This occurs when people who are employed decide to do the minimum required to maintain a paycheck. For them long work hours, employer access to them 24/7, and going the extra mile are a thing of the past. Their co-workers are none too happy with them because the work still needs get done. Personal relations at work get strained to put it mildly. With such low unemployment numbers, employers are reluctant to fire people when it is so hard to replace them.
Working remotely is here to stay. It doesn’t have to be working from home. It could be from a Starbuck’s, on a couch at the local shopping mall (we have witnessed this), from a beach house, or even another country. Eliminating a commute is a tasty benefit. Technology has given workers leverage they never had before. Some employers are demanding workers return to the office. Let’s see how that works out. With over 8 million jobs waiting to be filled, workers have choices and can often call the shots.
The other trend is Un-retirement, where retirees of all ages are leaving leisure behind and returning to the workforce. Inflation has a way of galvanizing people to want to work. So does boredom. After all, with longevity you can be retired longer than you were in the workforce. Scary thought. The greatest number of people over the age of 65 are now in the workforce and more are joining daily.
For all workers who are thinking about retirement or are already in it, remember: You Retire From something and you REWIRE to something which just might include a new job. If you decide to go back to work part-time, full-time, start a new career, or volunteer you will have plenty of company. HAPPY LABOR DAY.
