What is the Great Resignation and What Can You Do as an Employer?

Almost 41% of people across the globe are considering leaving their current employer this year – that’s a lot of people! Over the last 18 months, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have started questioning what they really want out of life and what is important to them. All of this has led to a movement known as ‘The Great Resignation’. As an employer, this is scary because a labour shortage makes it difficult to find good employees, but there are ways you can minimize the turnover for your company.

Consider work from home options

This pandemic has shown us that many people do not need to be in an office setting to be productive and do their job well. Flexible options may be enough to keep some employees from leaving. Consider giving the option of working from home indefinitely for those who want to.

Now there are some jobs that just cannot be performed at home, and for those employees, you should consider the amenities your office provides so that everyone feels taken care of.

Give managers the resources to support hybrid teams

Some employees may decide to come back to the office, while others are going to want to stay home, and managing these hybrid teams is a brand-new world for companies. For those who are people managers, they will need resources and support for these new kinds of teams.

Companies may also have to invest in more accommodating spaces – like larger meeting rooms for Zoom calls – so that employees are able to effectively work as a hybrid team.

Put effort into employee wellbeing

This pandemic created a lot of stress and anxiety for employees – not necessarily over their job, but just the uncertainties of what was going on. Employees in almost all industries are reporting burn out from this past year, even with the vaccines being made available to everyone and cities starting to open up again.

Giving employees time off is not enough to curb this kind of burn out, and some employees even report that they don’t have a good enough reason to take their vacation days because they don’t really have anywhere to go. Show your employees that you really care about their wellbeing. For example, if you give everyone Friday’s off but don’t adjust their workloads then you’re just stressing them out to work on the weekends because it’s not solving the problem.

Encourage career development

Some employers may feel like encouraging career development means employees will leave you for better positions, but if you are not giving them professional development opportunities, it means you are not getting the best employees either. By giving your employees the tools and resources to expand their careers, employees will likely feel more valued and therefore will be more likely to actually stay with your company – and you will benefit from the skills they are developing.

Pay equity

Sometimes, when it comes down to it, it’s really just about the money. Time off and professional development doesn’t pay the bills – we all know that. Employers should consider how much they are paying for each job role and make sure they have pay equity, both across the company and in the market to retain the best talent possible.

Contact Minken Employment Lawyers about The Great Resignation

If you are an employer with legal questions about ‘The Great Resignation’ and how you are or should be managing your employees, we can help. Minken Employment Lawyers is your source for expert advice and advocacy on today’s employment law issues. If you have any questions please contact us or call us at 905-477-7011. Sign up for our newsletter to receive up-to-date Employment Law information, including new legislation and Court decisions impacting your workplace.

Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.