In November 2021, 4.5 million workers quit their jobs – breaking a 20-year quit rate record.
A Pew Research Center survey found that workers who quit their jobs last year cited low pay (63%), lack of opportunities for advancement (63%), and feeling disrespected at work (57%) as the top reasons for leaving.
Furthermore, 48% left because of child-care issues, 45% cited lack of flexibility as their primary reason, 43% stated it was due to inadequate benefits, such as health insurance and paid time off.
A recent survey by Microsoft found that out of 30,000 international respondents, 41% were planning to leave their current positions.
So, what’s happening? Workers have had a career awakening.
The height of Covid was a time of unprecedented uncertainty, and uncertainty breeds stress and anxiety. With more businesses asking their people to return to work, employees are carefully evaluating if returning to a pre-pandemic normal is the right move for them, especially given the added layers of stress they’ve had to endure during this time.
The decision to leave has a lot to do with how workers were treated by their employers during the pandemic and whether the company culture was unhealthy even before the pandemic began.
Many workers have found they’re better able to support their well-being and manage work-life balance when they have a choice in when and where they work (i.e., working from home). This is why freelancing has seen a boom in the past year.
It’s important that company leaders realize that workers are no longer willing to settle for what they were being offered before the pandemic. If employers want to increase retention rates, it’s imperative they take a people-first approach.
This means putting employee well-being first through:
Better pay
More flexibility and time off
Comprehensive health benefits
Management training that encourages compassionate leadership
Wellness support programs
Schedule a discovery call today to learn more about how we can help you promote overall organizational health and the individual wellbeing of each member of your team, to boost productivity and profitability.
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Adeola Mead is a Naturopathic Physician with 15 years of clinical experience. Her team provides integrative wellness programs to help improve digestion, energy and mood, naturally and simultaneously. They help organizations implement wellness initiatives that improve mental and physical health while creating a culture of camaraderie in wellness.
Contact us for a complimentary consult or corporate wellness discovery call.