Live to work or work to live?

An age-old question, but is the answer really so different in the post-COVID era?

Much has been said about how the global coronavirus outbreak, and subsequent crisis after crisis, have caused people to re-evaluate their lives and priorities: The ‘Great Resignation’, the loss of ambition amongst the younger generations, the near obsession with achieving a good work-life balance and reducing time spent commuting. But are we really witnessing a seismic shift in attitudes, or just being granted the opportunity to pursue more confidently what we always desired in secret?

It is easy to forget amongst all the talk of hybrid working and the adoption of the ‘wfh’ acronym into common usage,?that ‘Work-life balance was the No.1 priority for job seekers before the pandemic’.[1] Companies were already waking up to the need to offer meaningful parental leave benefits, to give due consideration to flexible working requests, and to support the mental health of their employees – albeit often more in their words (policies) than the actions of managers on the ground. But it is without doubt true to say that workers left their roles in record numbers across Western Europe and the US in the wake of endless lockdowns. As research carried out by professors at the London Business School suggests, ‘while short term circumstances have made it easier for many workers to leave their job, the issues motivating that choice have been brewing for much longer’.[2]

I joined the cliché club and became a statistic myself when I quit a 15-year corporate career at the end of 2021, but I would be lying if I said that a pandemic, or lack of flexibility at work, led me to make the leap. Rather, I left a largely decent culture, some truly lovely friends, and a pretty decent salary. Of course, the reasons for the decision were complex and personal, but amongst them was certainly the feeling that I just did not have the ambition or drive – or self-belief – to pursue progression in that environment. And the acceptance that, since entering the workplace, I hadn’t really had those things in the first place.

With people talking about making the most of time with family, of travelling instead of letting annual leave allowances expire, I suspect I found my excuse. And I jumped. While I cannot guarantee I won’t end up wanting to reverse that decision further down the line, especially once my children have grown up a little more (and the strain on my finances has got inevitably worse), I do know that it wasn’t simply the after-effects of a worldwide disease that dampened my desire for success in its traditional sense.?And it seems that I’m not the only one.

It is early days for me and I’ve heard tell that some others who made a similar move have gone on to regret their choice. What seemed rosy and bold as we re-emerged into a world of holidays and longed-for ?family Christmases, ?may not have delivered on the initial promise of a life of more freedom and meaning. After all, there’s a lot to be said for financial security (to pay for those holidays!) and an active social life with like-minded ?colleagues from the office.

But I suspect for many others like me, who’s choices were based not just on a reaction to experiencing the world in turmoil but for whom that turmoil brought those choices into focus, there’s still a lot to be said for stepping away in search of something more – hopefully something better.

[1] https://www.researchtalenthub.co.uk/news/work-life-balance-in-2022

[2] https://www.london.edu/think/whats-driving-the-great-resignation; Professors Dan Cable and Lynda Gratton?