The great silent resignation, following the great resignation

[Hades]

I read an article recently which I found really interesting. There has been a lot of talk about the great resignation after the pandemic; where people who are able to, have either changed jobs or simply resigned and not taken up another. No doubt it is one contributing factor to staff shortages in many locations.

But the article was talking about the next wave after the great resignations; the "silent resignation" wave. Not everyone is willing or able to leave their current job and find another. Many of those people are apparently shifting their working mindset and simply doing the bare minimum work needed to keep their job and nothing more. They don't go above and beyond and no longer do anything other than what is directly asked or contractually obliged of them. I've noticed a bit of this at my place as people have become burnt out and disillusioned over the last few hectic years. Some of them are stepping back and just keeping their heads down now. Asking friends and family they seem to have witnessed similar from some people at their workplaces. So this may well be a thing.

Has anyone else noticed this?

 

[Diddums]

I've got 17 guys working under me and the only ones who fit that description are the ones that are biding their time until retirement and are all 55+.

The younger ones are all hungry and keen to move up in the world, but I do consider myself a good manager. My team have all spoken very highly of me since I joined. A crap manager will always bring out the worst in people.

 

[Hades]

Yes I think this is an older people phenomenon. Younger people tend to be more hungry for success while older people have either achieved it or may have readjusted their expectations.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

I always liked the term Retired On Full Pay for putting the bare minimum effort it you can get away with and still stay off management/HR‘s Skiver Scopes.

AKA my entire 3 years employment by Ericsson after they took over running Three UK’s network operations. The entire management structure was a Ponzi scheme of utter bellends. The upside was that said bellends had zero idea about handset testing and the small team I was part of was left alone providing that our reports were delivered on time. Additionally, my direct boss was an alcoholic, so we spent every afternoon when management was elsewhere in the pub.

The obvious downside to the above is that I had to up my game from a 4 to a 9 overnight when I started a new job.

 

[peterwalkley]

From a selfish viewpoint why would someone go above and beyond if the effort doesn't get recognised. There seem to be a lot of organisations where you don't even get a simple thank-you, let alone something tangible such as bonus, pay rise, small gift, promotion .... If there isn't a genuine give and take from an employer then they're only ever going to keep people who will do the bare minimum to stay.

 

[malachi]

From a selfish viewpoint why would someone go above and beyond if the effort doesn't get recognised. There seem to be a lot of organisations where you don't even get a simple thank-you, let alone something tangible such as bonus, pay rise, small gift, promotion .... If there isn't a genuine give and take from an employer then they're only ever going to keep people who will do the bare minimum to stay.

I agree with this, most people work to put food on the table, not because they enjoy going to work and slaving away.

Crap pay rises, if any at all, long working hours, expected to work over for no extra pay. I don't blame these people for doing minimum work needed to keep their job.

 

[opethian]

Thanks to the internet, there's a great amount of information made available to workers (working conditions, rights, etc.) and people are starting to wake up and demand for better treatment.

There's a reason why there's an ever-increasing "anti-work" movement globally. Check out the following video as things are getting bad in China:

"Lying flat" is just bonkers, but you can see what with the reasoning behind it why a lot of young adults just do it. And it gets worse:

I guess this is part and parcel of what constitutes "late stage capitalism".

 

[dowie]

There's a reason why there's an ever-increasing "anti-work" movement globally. Check out the following video as things are getting bad in China: [...]

I guess this is part and parcel of what constitutes "late stage capitalism".

LOL sure, if you're into Marxist nonsense.

I'm not sure what relevance some overworked slaves in China have to the UK, we're at pretty low numbers of hours worked historically and we've got more flexibility than ever.

 

[Diddums]

There's a reason why there's an ever-increasing "anti-work" movement globally.

Never heard of this, does it come with any sauce?

 

[mid_gen]

Thanks to the internet, there's a great amount of information made available to workers (working conditions, rights, etc.) and people are starting to wake up and demand for better treatment.

There's a reason why there's an ever-increasing "anti-work" movement globally. Check out the following video as things are getting bad in China:

"Lying flat" is just bonkers, but you can see what with the reasoning behind it why a lot of young adults just do it. And it gets worse:

I guess this is part and parcel of what constitutes "late stage capitalism".

Nice clickbait those images of people sleeping at their desks....but it's very misleading.

In China, people take a nap on their desk at lunchtime, it's completely normal. Go out, get lunch, come back, get your pillow out, take a short nap, get on with work.

 

[HangTime]

I've seen it before but I don't think it's a new phenomenon - perhaps WFH trends have accelerated it a bit as it makes it easier for people to take their foot off the gas. Or in other words 'going through the motions' is easier for remote workers. I'd say I'm noticing it less first hand this year but that's probably because I've joined a new and relatively vibrant company (with a lot of under-35s), there seems to be a lot of drive, going the extra mile etc. So I think the culture of the organisation probably plays a bit part in this too.

 

[opethian]

LOL sure, if you're into Marxist nonsense.

+ Rising cost of living
+ Rising cost of transportation
+ Rising cost of housing
+ Rising cost of living healthy
+ Inflation
+ Self-imposed sanction (first time in history) aka Brexit
+ Record breaking profits of companies
+ Mortgages becoming inheritance 50 to several hundred years with the way things are going

But sure, call these things "Marxist nonsense". Oh look, it's it's a flying Corbyn, quick, whack it!

 

[dowie]

But sure, call these things "Marxist nonsense".

Eh? I didn't why reply pretending I did?

 

[randomshenans]

I do also think that people are waking up a bit to the fact that being overworked, expected to bend over backwards for a company, but al for what? I know a lot of people who have been burnt out properly by local companies. Worked 80hr weeks, so much time off and overtime they physically could never take it and were never allowed any time off as it was always too busy. These are the extreme examples, but I have seen in my not huge local circle the same thing happen to 5 people. Then you have the less extreme of being expected to work late, through lunch, over weekends just to get the work done. I am certainly pushing back on that. Not the bare minimum by any stretch but I'm not about to take my work outside of those hours I am paid for, both physically and mentally.

 

[opethian]

You give so much to companies but right now we're all easily replaceable.

Another huge factor is automation and its various levels. From physical labour, to algorithms taking out the human factor.

There's also Uber's ploy to make the entire world into one huge gig-economy. GoFundMe healthcare. Imagine that.

There are a LOT of reasons for "the great resignation" and the advent of the "lying flat" movement around the world. We're bombarded with too much information to top it off.

Add on China's "social scoring" (and how the G7 countries' intelligence agencies are already doing it to its own citizens, of course, illegally), you can't blame the advent of escapism (gaming, entertainment, leisure) as a huge part of living today.

 

[dowie]

I know a lot of people who have been burnt out properly by local companies. Worked 80hr weeks, so much time off and overtime they physically could never take it and were never allowed any time off as it was always too busy.

I don't have a problem with working late etc.. at times, when needed, but I'd better be paid/rewarded for it at the end of the year or I'm out. As a general rule, save for short periods of time, it's an inefficient way of working and doesn't tend to help with productivity.

I do take my lunch though unless there is some pressing reason (like a time constraint/imminent deadline that afternoon), general workload being high is definitely *not* a good enough reason to not have a lunch break... likewise if I'm working late I'll have another break at like 5 or 6 ish first. I used to love nipping to itsu for half-price sushi if working late.

 

[randomshenans]

You give so much to companies but right now we're all easily replaceable.

We're not though... that's the thing we're seeing. You look at the trouble with airports and that. They had a load of people walk out and I spoke to someone in baggage handling and they were saying how they can't hire and train people fast enough. The wages have gone up, so they're decent by all accounts, but it's the cost and time to hire and train. This is what so many companies miss out on. The cost to recruit and onboard staff is massive. The cost is one thing, but studies showed that it takes roughly 12 weeks for that employee to be up to full potential. That's 1/4 of the year. In some jobs that might be as much of an impact as others (directly anyway - my job vs. baggage handler I'd say it'd be more noticeable up front at least for the baggage guy).

 

[Terminal_Boy]

You give so much to companies but right now we're all easily replaceable.

Ease of replacement is inversely proportional to the skill and experience that the role requires. Even more so if there’s a long formal qualification period involved.

This is why someone with a good deal of experience in a niche field can get away with being difficult at times as the employer knows it’s going to be a difficult, not to mention lengthy and expensive to replace them.

 

[phonemonkey]

I definitely fall into this category. I turn up on time, take only the breaks agreed, perform my job to (by my employers own auditing standards) a 'highly compliant' standard and work until the moment my shift ends but I've mentally checked out.

I won't do any more training than is required to undertake the role I'm employed for, I won't use my own time for this training even if I was paid. I won't change my shifts to undertake training or to suit my employer. I won't do overtime unless I'm already on a call as my shift finishes then I'll finish that call - when this happens I TOIL every minute and take back the time as soon as I can. I feel my employer has to shoulder some of the blame for this attitude. We get only the legally required breaks which are unpaid, an average holiday entitlement (which their policies make difficult to use), no bonuses (monetary or gift) and there here have been several instances where I have been directly lied to and ignored by senior management, or where various line managers have displayed a rigid and inflexible attitude to me leaving me feeling valueless and not respected. Why should I give more than my contract obliges me to when it is clear my employer does only what they're legally obligated to do for me (me being an employee - being clear I have not been singled out for this treatment all employees at any given grade receive the same package, terms and conditions.)

Its not just money for me (though that is an issue) it's the whole stinking package. If they want more from me they can give more .

 

[McBain]

There's nothing wrong with doing the bare minimum as far as job requirements are concerned, in my opinion. You're paid to do 'X', providing 'X' is done then if you don't want to go above and beyond then don't, you certainly won't get any praise for it in my experience.