The Great Resignation of 2021

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alank2

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People have always retired - the question is what makes now different? Are young people not working? Do they not want to work? Do they not have to work? Where are the workers to replace the ones retiring, that is the real question.
 

Matt Giroux

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People have always retired - the question is what makes now different? Are young people not working? Do they not want to work? Do they not have to work? Where are the workers to replace the ones retiring, that is the real question.
The current problem I have seen just in my industry of consulting is companies that want a degree and 3-5 years of experience for a position but the starting, a lot of time non negotiable, salaries being offered are shat offers. Now I wholly understand having to put ones time in and being low man on the totem pole. But jobs asking for 40-50 hour work weeks and experience only offering a starting salary of 35-40k are BS. I will bust my *** have worked weekends, holidays, and will put in 60 hours to get the job done. But don't expect me to work like that if you aren't going to pay me like that.

HOWEVER, I am few and far between in my generation, there are a lot out there that expect to come out of college with a degree, no experience, and think they DESERVE 100k starting salary for a 40 hour work week which is also BS.
 

wawazat

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I have never worked in or managed a salary position that was only 40 hours a week. Normally the whole point to bumping someone to salary is when their responsibilities start requiring an average of 45-50 hour weeks and it is cheaper than overtime pay. Granted not every week required that many hours, but it typically averaged out to about that after I got the work flow going my way.

I started noticing 8-10 years ago that kids entering the professional workforce had somehow been led to believe that salary jobs ended when the 40th hour was complete. I have had to explain more than once that a salary job is being paid to handle a set of tasks regardless of the time it takes. If you can get your work knocked out in an acceptable way in 35 hours, awesome! If it takes you 60 hours, tough luck. It is part of the deal. The ones that found a way to knock their work out of the park and have free time on a regular basis were typically making a lot more than their counterparts within a few years too.
 

Matt Giroux

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The ones that found a way to knock their work out of the park and have free time on a regular basis were typically making a lot more than their counterparts within a few years too.
This right here is the biggest issue I have seen with my generation, it is not that they lack the knowledge or skill but they lack the drive that I had instilled in me at a very young age, which is also the reason I have surpassed many of my peers. What they dont realize is that when you knock your stuff out and the boss man has an emergency it pays dividends to be the one they know they can count on to get **** done.
 

Dale00

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When people are laid off, the idea of loyalty to any employer goes out the window.
When the perception is that hard work does not pay, people take a go slow approach to work.

I see it as more of an employer caused problem than being the fault of younger generations. When employees feel valued, resignations are far less likely.
 

xtremerange

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... If you can get your work knocked out in an acceptable way in 35 hours, awesome! ...
99 bosses/employers out of 100 would say the person getting their work done in 35 hours per week needs more to do.

Not excusing people who expect the work to end at 40 hrs on salary but everyone knows that if you get your work done in less time your bosses will add to the workload.
 

wawazat

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99 bosses/employers out of 100 would say the person getting their work done in 35 hours per week needs more to do.

Not excusing people who expect the work to end at 40 hrs on salary but everyone knows that if you get your work done in less time your bosses will add to the workload.
If that is the norm, I agree. I have had a few that took over a role and were able to shave hours off what it took to get the work done each week. They got promoted, were given a raise, and tasked with attacking even bigger stuff.

I have been in oil and gas for a long time and have ridden out a LOT of layoffs. In my direct experience only, the slow and steady group are typically the first ones cut. If you are the guy that management knows will find a way to make it work, you will hold on longer than the others. My wife has been through similar experiences and had a similar outcome. If they have to cut 3 people but they know who will pick up the slack to make it work. The person picking up the slack will have a paycheck again next week.

Life's too short for coasting, which is why I ran from Williams as fast as I could, haha.
 

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