Combatting the Great Resignation

 Those of us who have adapted to telework over the last year are facing an enormous shift in priorities as many employers attempt to return to 100% office presence. While I agree that the human connection and socialization is necessary to build a strong team, I believe we’re also seeing that there must be a combination of in-person and telework opportunities whenever possible if employers desire to keep good employees on the pay roll.

The antiquated mentality that work only gets done in an office has not only been proven false, but likely detrimental to a company’s bottom line. There are bosses who suspiciously insist that their employees are kept directly under their thumb (and at their desks) lest they bilk the company for precious time and money, instead of asking the more obvious question – is the work getting done? If the answer is yes, does it matter where it was done? Creating flexibility for your people not only builds trust, but actually increases their physical and mental health, which every company gives at least lip service as to supporting.

Working from home means not having to spend time getting ready in the morning, packing meals, and dealing with a sometimes lengthy, stressful, and costly commute – especially with gas prices currently soaring. In some cases, working from home can add almost three hours to a worker’s day and a nice bump in their paycheck as they are saving money on gas, lunch outings, and snack bar expenditures. We’ve often over the years joked, but seriously wished for more hours in our days. We can have it. What can you do or have you done with that time over the last year?

For me, I know it’s sometimes meant enjoying the peach pancakes my husband makes in the morning,
basking in a sun drenched afternoon office either indoors or outdoors as weather permits, taking a short walks around the property with my dogs, squeezing a nice run through my neighborhood, watering and tending to my plants, time to learn guitar, gratefully having lunch with my children and hearing about their day and sharing their lives, or even completing a few household chores that typically go neglected during the week only to overwhelm me and absorb what little time I would ordinarily have on my only two days off. The old weekly grind of “work-work-work-work-work, then frantically scramble for two days to maintain a household, family, fitness and friendships, only to repeat the same cycle again the next week” needs to be a thing of the past. There is a better way to moderate our lives and fit all of our necessary activities and desires into each treasurable day. Instead of sitting in an office for eight straight hours, why not give workers the opportunity to start earlier and end later as they weave other parts of their life into the day? There is no need to rush out of work at 5:00pm if you’re already home. In fact, work becomes a more fluid concept that fits far better into the already frenzied lives we’ve created as a society. Those that are teleworking aren’t working less, they are simply working with clearer minds and a higher sense of achievement that goes far beyond simply paying a mortgage. We are able to not only meets the needs of our employers, but also more easily able to meet the needs of our day to day lives, relationships, and passions.

Before COVID, we read endlessly about the enormous stress Americans were under as our workforce continued to ask us to put longer hours in the office and still face enormous guilt and worry if you decide to utilize what little vacation you might have earned. As Americans, we take far less vacations than the rest of the world. We somehow believe that longer hours and less time off mean a higher payout because we mistakenly measure our successes by our salaries and bank accounts. Meanwhile, our mental and physical health has and continues to decline. During the lockdown months, we also saw a surge in mental health issues as we removed personal connections and added enormous uncertainty and fear to the mix. As the dust continues to settle (and perhaps flare up again), Americans have learned to adjust to a telework environment, and I believe a hybrid mix of office and telework opportunities may be the key to a resurgence in attitudes, health, and productivity for the workforce – but only if employers are willing to grow and accept this new reality.

If we are serious about turning the tide on American health, perhaps we focus less heavily on basic medication and inoculations and instead encourage more telework while incentivizing our workers to partake in healthier activities and connections with the time they will save during a commute. Perhaps running, yoga, walking, stretching, and even mentally beneficial exercises like learning new skills and hobbies? The healthier we are, the happier we may become. For those bosses still adamant about maintaining a hefty bottom line and equating that to butts in chairs – I must point out that healthy workers are also more productive and incur less health care costs, thus boosting your profits while continuing to advance your mission. And happy people who feel trusted, valued, and cared for will always be your best performers.

We are seeing now what has been called “The Great Resignation” as workers are leaving in droves those companies which are again requiring full-time, in-person presence. This is less of a disaster than an awakening. People are beginning to see the value in their time, relationships, and overall health. Let us be careful not to confuse an uplifting, empowering revolt with a mere attempt to skirt the system and take advantage of our employers. It is a worthy stance and a silver lining to what has been an otherwise disastrous and soul crushing year. It is an opportunity to prove that we DO actually care about the overall health of our workforce far beyond the topic of COVID.

In this pandemic and perhaps even before, we have sadly lost a bit of civility with each other, and we continue to allow politics and emotions to rip apart friendships and families. However, I sincerely believe the way to emotional and physical healing is to first give people the time and space to work through their thoughts and actions in step with their workforce obligations and not simply in addition to those burdens. The hybrid work force may be the first real step to healing many facets of our lives. And healing, as well as prospering, should always be the goal.