Handling the Great Resignation

Hello, hello, hello, my friends! I’m your host, Wanda Thibodeaux, this is the Faithful on the Clock podcast, and our goal is to get your faith and work aligned. Today on the show we’re taking a look at the so-called Great Resignation and mass resignation in general. We’re gonna look at some of the reasons behind all the quitting and explore what the Christian response to the exodus of workers should be. Join me for that riiiiiiiight now.

Jumping right in here today, the Great Resignation, I think we’ve all heard about it in the United States, but it refers to the massive number of people have quit their jobs since the start of the pandemic, and who still are leaving. And I’ve got a ton of links in the show notes for you already, but just for some context about how big this exodus is, CBS News reported that 4.5 million Americans left their jobs right before the holidays in November 2021. So this is way above the normal quit rate, OK? And it’s not just in the United States that we’re seeing this kind of stuff, either. There was a piece in Bloomberg Businessweek that talked about how we’re seeing it in places like China and Germany, too. And I think that makes sense, you know, obviously, you’ve got different cultural things going on around the world, but in a global economy, if you’ve got an issue, it’s gonna have influence in a lot of places because markets are so tied together.

And I wanted to talk about this today because I think a lot of businesses are approaching this just from a logistical or numbers issue. You know, workers are pointing to existing problems like low pay and a lack of flexibility as reasons for leaving. Some workers, they just want to try something new, they want to try to apply talents in a different space. And so a lot of companies are trying to attract talent by sweetening the pot in terms of their compensation packages or perks. We also see a lot of companies, they’re getting so desperate for staff that they’re waiving previous requirements they had, like drug screenings or certifications and things like that.

But the other thing we’re hearing is that people are leaving because they’re just unhappy. And an analysis by MIT Sloan Management Review, guess what they found that the biggest factor pushing people out of jobs was. It wasn’t wanting more money. It was toxic culture. And in fact, that was 10 times more important than compensation when it came to predicting retention. So workers really don’t feel like they have purpose in their work, they don’t feel respected or valued, and they’re really thinking about, you know, if you see business as a two-way relationship, then what are they getting back from the employer to make the sacrifices they make worth it? And that’s a much bigger, much different problem. Because it suggests that there are issues with the way that we view each other, in the way that we’re treating each other and the way that we’ve structured our systems.

So if you want to address just the first side of this, if you do the math, I absolutely think that people have a point in that they need more financial support from their employers. They need a living wage. Right now, in the United States, the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that there is no state where someone working full time for minimum wage can even afford a two-bedroom apartment, OK? That’s a real issue. And we have the data on the support programs, you know, people who have been getting money from the government through the pandemic, they’re not misusing it. They really are using it for basics like utilities, food, child care. And scripture is very clear that employers are supposed to give fair pay, that you have to recognize the position that people are in. Deuteronomy 24:14-15 says, “don’t take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy”. It says, “pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and counting on it.” Even with slaves, Colossians 4:1 says, “Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in Heaven.”

So I think as Christian leaders, we’re not supposed to look at the fact someone’s in a bad situation and use that against them when we’re negotiating and hiring. We shouldn’t say, well, you know, beggars can’t be choosers and force them to accept what’s not going to sustain them. We really need to look at the data that we have, and we have an obligation to review wages against what people need every year or even every quarter and not just wait until people complain to make adjustments. And I think that we should assume that if the majority of the workers we have are advocating for a pay increase and they’ve got the statistics to back it up, they can bring you documentation on what they have to deal with or what they’re doing, that’s not just them being greedy. That’s us, OK? We’re the problem for having dropped the ball and not paid attention to what they need.

Now on the other side, with people just not being happy, I think I can kind of wrap my head around pay problems a little better, because it’s easy for me to understand how company leaders can get tempted to try to keep more and more of their money. We associate wealth with a lot of positive things. But to just ignore it when people are sad, to just turn your back on someone who feels lost or worthless and stressed out, that cuts deeper to me. Because what’s the motivation for that? For dehumanizing people to the point where they just say, “I give up. I’m out. I’m not doing this anymore.”? There’s nothing behind that except your own bias and ego.

So when I see the Great Resignation, or any mass resignation where people just aren’t feeling seen, I think the biggest thing that you as a Christian professional have to do is to is to ask yourself, what justification do you have for dismissing someone or putting yourself ahead of anybody else? It’s not your status. Galatians 3:28 says there’s no Jew or Greek, slave or free, we’re all one in Jesus. It’s not how well you’ve done. Romans 3:23 says we’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. It’s not that you’re more talented, either. Exodus 35, we see God giving different skills to different people for different purposes, and in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about the gifts of the Spirit and compares individuals to different parts of the body and talks about how we’re all important.

So if you accept that you are the same, that you’re equal to other people, then if you’re going to love your neighbor as yourself, then you’re not going to settle for systems that suck the life out of people, the way we clearly have been. You’re going to go to them and ask them if they’re really OK, you’re gonna ask what they need. And that’s all people are asking that you do. They’re leaving because they just want to live and work with a little dignity. They want to know that their life and what they’re doing matters. And you can do a lot for that. You know, you can send them home when you see they’re overworked. You can watch their load. You can give them opportunities to develop their career, you connect them with people who could help. You model going out and enjoying things, you express gratitude. All of those things.

But here’s the big takeaway. Work culture, whether it’s just within your company or the broader region, the way you build it is deliberate. It’s always a reflection of what you value. And I’m gonna hold you accountable on this today. Check your values. Don’t look at this through an elitist lens and hope that it’s just some kind of phase that’s gonna pass of workers feeling unjustifiably entitled, because it’s not. It’s a legitimate protest. It’s a sign that things are broken. So really fix what stinks. Make sure everybody’s taken care of and that everybody has the chance to achieve and have joy. Because when what you believe in matches what your people believe in, I can guarantee you’ll get the loyalty you want and need.

So now that I’ve presented that challenge to you, let me pray for you.

God, the Great Resignation we’re seeing is really a symptom. It’s a symptom of a spiritual sickness that lets us turn a blind eye to our brothers and sisters. And I pray for those professionals, the leaders out there, Lord, let them understand that we are all yours and that we’re all deserving of fairness and kindness. Give them the tools and open their minds so they can figure out all the logistical things they need to fix to support each other better and share in your gifts. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

That’s all folks. I’m all out of words. Well, almost. Next week, I’m gonna discuss value on social media. We’ll take a look at what it really takes to connect with people and how technology is changing the way we have to communicate our message. And while I work on that, please go to Patreon.com/faithfulontheclock, sign up to become a supporting member with whatever plan makes sense for you. You got a couple of choices, OK. Your membership is going to ensure I can keep everything we’re doing ad free and have the wiggle room to market with better tools. I’ll be checkin’ to see who signed up, all right? I’m watchin’. Until next time, be blessed.