In its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that 4.4 million workers quit their jobs in September, which was an all-time high since the BLS started keeping records. 

Why are people leaving their current positions in record numbers?  Experts suggest many reasons, but one theme keeps popping up:  the pandemic has caused people to re-examine every aspect of their lives, to realign priorities, and to make decisions that are consistent with a better quality of life. 

Certainly, soul-searching is not the only reason people are making career changes.  Retirements, discomfort with the way the workplace has changed, childcare issues, health issues, and more do have an impact, but facing a global pandemic does make you think about what makes you happy. 

The current shortage of workers is also a contributing factor and makes it more attractive for someone to begin a job search.  In its October 2021 Jobs Report, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) reported that 49% of business owners had job openings they could not fill.  Economist Tuan Nguyen wrote in a November 12, 2021, post for The Real Economy Blog, “The gap between the pool of unemployed workers—a proxy for labor supply—and job openings in September remained significant at 2.8 million.”   Simply put, there are more jobs than qualified people available to fill them.

So if jobs are plentiful and workers are seeking ones that support a better quality of life, are employers responding by restructuring their workplaces to meet the paradigm shift?  Some are, but many are not.

To ignore the shift in the way employees are viewing their work-life balance is dangerous for employers.  Workers in unfulfilling jobs are learning that they can make more money elsewhere, have greater flexibility working for more enlightened employers, and do not need to put up with unpleasant working conditions where they feel overworked, undervalued, and disrespected.  With such a wide gap in supply and demand of workers and the opportunities for better working conditions and higher wages being offered by many employers to attract new employees, it makes sense that a lot of people in the workforce are moving on to greener pastures.

This is not a complicated math problem.  Unhappy Worker + Employer who is ignoring the Unhappy Worker = Unhappy Worker seeking happiness elsewhere. 

While it makes a lot of sense and good managers should be aware of the climate surrounding the teams they are leading, a lot of these employers are oblivious, ignoring how their team members are feeling and continuing to underappreciate their workforce (i.e., underpaying them, overworking them, being inflexible with schedules, etc.).  These are the same managers who are shocked when the best and brightest on their teams resign.  They shouldn’t be.  They should expect it.  And, yet, they don’t.

I keep seeing this saying and it really drives the point home:  Never push a loyal person past the point where they don’t care anymore.

Good advice, employers.  You should heed it.