THE SEASON OF GREATS: A TIMELINE OF PANDEMIC WORK PHENOMENA

Did You Know?

Employees lose over?5 hours ?of work per week from thinking about their stressors. Stress leads to burnout, turnover, low productivity, poor quality of work, and disengagement from other team members

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted our daily routines in and out of the workplace. Dramatic transformations unfolded in the job market, creating an era of profound shifts. These phenomena reflect the evolving priorities, economic instability, and newfound perspectives redefining what it means to work in the 21st century.?

The Great Resignation

Timeline:?Early 2021 - Mid 2022 As the pandemic entered its second year, around?50 million ?Americans quit their jobs in droves, citing reasons like burnout, dissatisfaction, low pay, lack of mental health support, and a desire for better work-life balance. The Great Resignation marked a shift in how employees perceived the role of work.?

The Context The economy was rebounding from the initial shock of the pandemic, job openings surged as businesses expanded, and job seekers could find roles in organizations that measured up to their standards. Remote work became a norm, and employees looked for roles that offered flexibility, balance, and alignment with their values. Many frontline workers also cited health and safety concerns as reasons for turnover.?

The Great Reshuffle

Timeline:?Mid 2022 - Early 2023 Following the Great Resignation’s mass exodus, the Great Reshuffle saw workers reevaluating their careers and seeking positions that matched their skills, passions, and lifestyles. With?40% ?of workers feeling that the pandemic caused setbacks in their careers, many workers changed career paths, started their own businesses, moved across sectors, or transitioned to entirely new fields.?

The Context As the labor market experienced a high demand for workers coupled with an increasingly selective talent pool, companies faced the challenge of filling vacancies while ensuring their organization’s practices met a new set of expectations created by this wave of job seekers. The Great Reshuffle led to heightened competition among employers for top talent, with companies that failed to offer competitive salaries, benefits, and flexible work policies struggling to fill positions.?

The Great Stay

Timeline:?Early 2023 - Late 2023 2023 brought the Great Stay, or the Big Stay, as the quit rate dropped?5 from ?early 2022 to early 2023. Employees realized that the job market was becoming less stable and accommodating, causing many workers to stay at their current roles despite lingering dissatisfaction in lieu of seeking new opportunities.?

The Context Inflation rates rose, the threat of a recession loomed, job seekers lost bargaining power due to the higher number of individuals looking for work, and white-collar workers faced a "richcession ” as their industries went through mass layoffs. Despite remaining in their positions, employees stayed vocal about their discontent with issues such as lack of growth opportunities, inadequate mental health support, and poor management practices.?

Current Trends: The Great Reimagining

Timeline:?Late 2023 - Present With three “Great” periods behind us, new workplace norms, and younger generations entering the workplace, employers see trends emerging like quiet quitting, quiet PTO, and lazy girl jobs. These trends highlight a growing desire among workers to truly reimagine what work can look like when employees have full control over their mental health and work-life balance.? Quiet Quitting:?A trend underscoring a shift toward prioritizing personal life over professional accolades, in which employees set firm boundaries around their jobs, doing what is required without going above.? Quiet PTO:?Taking time away from work without announcing it, often seen in younger generations who work while traveling, reflecting a desire to utilize PTO without the pressure of constant availability.? Lazy Girl Jobs:?A trend where individuals seek low-pressure, high-flexibility jobs, appealing to those who prioritize their well-being over their career advancement.?

New Perspectives on Work: Making Them Work for You The pandemic fundamentally altered how employees view their jobs, expecting their companies to provide adequate pay, benefits, work-life balance, respect, and purpose. While new trends around work may seem to indicate that the current workforce is lazy, this Reimagining centers around stress. About?1 million ?workers miss work daily due to being overstressed, so reimagining the workplace as a beacon of stress-free productivity has the potential to benefit employees and businesses alike. While not every role at your organization is a lazy girl job, encouraging employees to seek the roles that meet their needs, providing resources to handle stress, and allowing employees to dictate their work-life balance makes for an organization that will thrive through any era.

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Fight employee stress with PuzzleHR! Whether you need to find the perfect?benefits ?plan with robust mental health coverage or an?HR ?policy overhaul to ensure employees have the resources to manage their workloads, our experts are ready to help!?Contact us ?today to learn more.