Henry David Thoreau noted in 1854, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” It’s 168 years later, and that desperation is no longer so quiet. The Great Resignation is real. I worry less about job vacancies than about the workers who plan to quit tonight. I can’t help wondering whether I will have been their last customer.
In most cases, I encourage such change. If they think they can do better, they should quit. I recall the advice I heard from one of our best local curmudgeons. Paul Nicholson insisted on a refund or some remedy. The worker was not allowed to give him what he wanted. Finally, the exasperated worker said to Paul, “I’ve done everything I’m allowed to do. What more would you like from me?”
Paul’s response was profound: “I want you to quit your job. Get hired where they give you more authority or provide assistance when you need it. Life’s too short to work for bad people.” Nicholson didn’t say that last part out loud, but I’m sure he was thinking it. I’ve wondered a thousand times what that fellow’s dinner hour was like that night.
Stores limit their hours to fit the workers they hire. Lines are longer at our favorite burger joints. Every phone call now begins with a recorded warning of excessive wait times because of “higher than anticipated call volume.”
More vacancies than job-seekers is not uncommon, but usually there’s a significant dislocation between the two. Applicants lack training for the jobs available. Or they live in the wrong part of the country. This time around, anyone seeking a job can have one.
That’s taking some getting used to. Afghan refugees are encouraged to look for a job as soon as they are allowed to work. Now we also have to teach them how to choose between jobs they’ve been offered.
I have a good friend who has helped large corporations build and maintain their social consciousness programs. She’s ready for a job change, but are employers ready to bid up for her services? Prize real estate accepts sealed bids before a transaction is finalized. Workers may soon have the same leverage. Who’s interviewing whom?
The Great Resignation accelerated during the pandemic, but Obamacare reset the board. The Affordable Care Act freed workers from “job lock.” Anyone with pre-existing conditions didn’t dare to quit their job. Losing health insurance was too big a risk. Those days are gone now, even if employers and employees are just now realizing it.
Workers are just beginning to articulate what they want from their employers. It’s too soon to call these demands, but that’s where we’re headed. They want flexible hours and work-from-home options. They want their work to feel meaningful, which is far more legitimate than insisting that they be constantly praised for their efforts.
They want work that gives them meaning and connection without consuming every waking hour. After all, they are waiting longer for their fast food or the next available customer service agent, just like the rest of us.
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Don Kahle (fridays@dksez.com) writes a column each Friday for The Register-Guard and archives past columns at www.dksez.com.
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