We’ve lost so much of the stability in the world of work we once had. What used to be certain is now uncertain, and we have a very hard time seeing what could happen next.
It’s not one thing. It’s a constellation of factors. Here are 15 that loom large. These reasons reflect opinions collected from workers, job seekers, and people who have stepped away from traditional employment.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Burnout begins early
A new grad starts their first office job. But they don’t feel that spark. After all, they’ve already been worn down. Years of never-ending testing, juggling part-time shifts, grinding through unpaid work, it all happened too fast, it feels like they’ve been on this treadmill for ages.
The commute kills motivation
Gridlock, packed trains, and interminable waits sap all will to work. Having suffered it day in and day out, many employees wonder if the job is worth the sacrifice.
Low wages compared to cost of living
It’s tough to find the drive to work at a job where you only make enough to scrape by. Your rent takes one big bite out of that and groceries another and an emergency leaves you flat broke again. The average working person starts questioning their hard work when they realize that their superiors show no real concern for their well-being.
Work doesn’t feel meaningful
You want to feel like what you’re doing is being added up, that it’s helping someone or being good. And when it’s not, all you can do is sit and think, “Why bother?”
Workplace culture can be toxic
If the office is full of gossip, bad management or people who treat employees like dirt – don’t stay there. There are many people who would rather earn less than come to a place that sucks the life out of them everyday.
Feeling unappreciated
You complete a task to perfection and it’s as if you did nothing. You begin to ask yourself why the hell you even try anymore. Acknowledgement of good work is not an added bonus to your pay, it’s part of what makes all that work feel worth it.”
Distrust in corporations
Employees should not trust corporations since organizational policies also discourage them from doing so. There are too many horror stories about abuse and deceit. So, some people are left skeptical, and therefore won’t give 100% of themselves.
Work-life imbalance drains energy
It’s hard to be present when work crowds out life. When you work long hours, and all your “off” time is spent checking work emails, eventually people wake up to the fact that the job isn’t just taking hours, it’s taking their lives.
Desire for creative freedom
Let’s get real: not everybody has ambitions to climb the career ladder. For some, being able to sit with their guitar, their notebook or a lump of clay and create something that’s true to them is much more important than working all hours.
Overqualification leads to disinterest
When talent goes unused, people get bored. Graduates and skilled professionals end up doing jobs far beneath their capabilities. That mismatch makes the workday feel long and kills motivation.
Societal expectations are shifting
Generations in the modern workforce are starting to question the old idea of “work hard, and retire later”. Living for “someday” is less important than living fully, today. That change in attitude has many gravitating towards alternative work.
Bureaucracy slows everything down
As one person explained, “It’s crazy. You put effort into something useful, but bureaucracy kills it. The paperwork is never done. You start to think, what’s the point of trying? You lose that energy you had.”
Job insecurity and unpredictable hours
You can’t plan a life when your schedule changes every week. Sometimes you’re working late nights, other weeks you hardly get a call. Add the fear of layoffs and it’s just too much. No wonder so many people step back to feel some control.
Old-fashioned work environments
Old rules. Old tools. Old ways of thinking and a boss who says, “We have always done it this way.” It breaks people’s spirits. Most employees would rather leave than continue bending to an archaic world.
Family responsibilities come first
Simple: jobs come and go, family is forever. If a person faces a decision between staying late at work or attending their child’s doctor’s visit they will choose family. After all, very few jobs are that flexible.
Like our content? Be sure to follow us.
