"I quit": Workers opt out of return to work

FRI, JUL 02, 2021

TECH, TRANSFORMATION AND THE FUTURE OF WORK

EDITOR'S NOTE

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Read on for more on the latest jobs numbers, the Great Resignation, mandated vaccines, and the right to disconnect...

THE GREAT RESIGNATION

The pandemic gave a lot of us a lot of time to think about what's important: How are we spending our time? Do we see our loved ones enough? Are we working to live or living to work?

Now this pandemic-inspired 'great reevaluation' may be leading what some are dubbing the Great Resignation. According to a report by Monster.com, 95% of respondents are considering new jobs as they face the realities of return to work.

While not always a walk in the park, for those able to work from home, many found benefits that outweighed the occasional child, roommate or pet Zoom bombs. Going back to a world of lengthy commutes, less time with family and friends, and out-of-control home project lists is daunting.

As some companies go all-in on hybrid work and others eye returning to a more structured in-person experience, which model will win out long term remains to be seen. Suffice it to say, attracting and retaining the very best workers will require all organizations to pay close attention to what workers want. Read more here.

VACCINES AND THE WORKPLACE

To mandate or not to mandate, that is the question. With concerns around the highly contagious Delta variant rising in the U.S., we're watching to see if organizations will begin to modify their vaccine policies as we head into the fall...

In the meantime, Morgan Stanley recently announced unvaccinated employees without will be barred from entering the company's New York City and Westchester County offices as of July 12th. And Tom Gimbel, CEO of national staffing firm LaSalle Network, agrees, adding that returning to the office safely should be considered a perk, not a punishment. Read more here.

THE RIGHT TO DISCONNECT

With more people working from home than ever before, it's time for a European-wide rule on the "right to disconnect." That's according to Alex Agius Saliba, a Maltese lawmaker at the European Parliament, who is leading efforts on this issue.

The right to disconnect refers to rules that say an employee should not be expected to field work calls and emails, or communications with their bosses, outside of working hours.

While practical challenges and the implementation of blanket measures will likely prevent the 'right to disconnect' from ever becoming a full-fledged law, challenging convention is never a bad thing. After all, even small change is change. Read more here.

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