“Let’s have a toast for the scumbags
Every one of them that I know
Let’s have a toast for the jerk offs
That’ll never take work off.”- Kanye West
Labor Day is finally upon us.
This holiday comes during a time when all of our social media feeds are clogged with story after story about how “no one wants to work anymore”. These stories are typically bombarded with reason after reason why no one wants to work at that specific location or company anymore.
- You don’t pay enough.
- You and/or your management team treat people like trash.
- Your benefit package is either nonexistent or uncompetitive.
- Your product and/or your company aren’t very good.
This comes at a period when there’s also a new work-sensation sweeping the nation for those who are employed… quiet quitting.
Just like the diversity of the labor force, quiet quitting means something different to each person practicing it. For some it simply means doing exactly what’s on your job description and nothing more. For others it’s building a wall strong enough between their job and their life that their job can not penetrate the other side. We all know that job creep exists and left unchecked will grow. But for all of those quiet quitters, the one common element they share is a reevaluation of work’s role in one’s life.
For those who learn from history, we consistently see moments when entire populations question their life and career choices. And these moments happen directly after some large, life-changing event. In America, just since 2000, we’ve had these periods after 9/11, the Great Financial Crisis, and now Covid.
These reflection periods are completely normal. When the world changes, it seems to me, that thinking about how you will change to meet the new paradigm is a healthy reaction to any massive cultural shift.
During the pandemic, some folks switched completely to working from home. If that was a good experience for them, why wouldn’t they question going back to their office? If forced to go back to the office, why wouldn’t they seek a job that will allow them to work from home?
During the pandemic, many folks continued with their person-to-person job and even though none of these front-line workers set State or Federal masking and vaccination regulations, they were treated with a never-seen-before level of disdain from customers. In the middle of a deadly pandemic, they were spit on, physically attacked, and screamed at, all while being recorded just in case there were any “gotcha” moments that could get you immediately fired. Even Ricky Schroder got in on the action. Why wouldn’t these people be looking for different jobs?
The unemployment is currently so low in the country that The Fed is actively trying to increase the unemployment rate. For the first time in a looooong time, we have wage inflation and it’s not just coming from the C-suite like usual. Folks at lower pay scales are getting pay raises, which will shift demand from certain employers to other employers. Yes, supply and demand even applies here.
After the past couple of years, we all deserve and should fully enjoy this Labor Day. We can treat it as a time for reflection about our current and future career paths or we can simply take a nap and enjoy the long weekend with family and friends.
Either way, don’t let Puritan-work-ethic guilt affect your relaxation this weekend. Because, on Tuesday, it’ll be time to get back to laboring.
