As the world recovers from the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems that every industry is being hit by a unique byproduct of this isolation — the Great Resignation. If you have travelled this summer, you surely have been affected by this phenomenon, which has resulted in almost 4 million people resigning every month since 2021. Closer to home, I see friends finding it harder to hire or retain technicians, research coordinators, nurses, and even colleagues. Statistics show that 1 in 5 health care workers have quit their jobs since the beginning of the pandemic, including 30% of nurses. According to the American Medical Association, 20% of clinicians intend to leave their current practice within the next 2 years.

The term for this phenomenon was coined in 2021 by Anthony Klotz, a professor of management at London’s School of Management, when he predicted a mass of voluntary resignations. It has been estimated that almost half of Gen Z workers are looking for a new job this year, and surveys show that around 40% of workers are considering quitting their jobs in the next few months.

There are many reasons this is happening, including a desire for work-life balance, for better work conditions, to remain a remote worker, for higher wages or more fulfilling work, or for better job satisfaction. Some workers say they were being asked to do too much as the number of employees was reduced. Initially fueled by COVID-19 stimulus checks and rises in unemployment benefits, workers found they could make more money by not working. As getting workers to return or hiring new workers became increasingly difficult, employers were forced to raise wages and sweeten work hours.

This does not appear to be a passing fad. There is a fundamental shift in our desire to work. To combat this problem, employers are being forced to think differently and increase flexibility for remote work, even by offering nontraditional hours. Retention bonuses are becoming very common to keep workers happy.

For health care workers, the main reason for the Great Resignation is burnout. I see this all around me. The number of my friends in retina who are looking to leave clinical practice and do something different is remarkably high. Our work environment has become toxic, with unsupportive administration, abusive patients, decreased civility, harder hours due to staffing shortages, less time off, the politicization of masking and health care, and little to no thanks for our hard work throughout the entire pandemic. We come home exhausted. Health care has been stretched to the limit, and there is no clear end in sight.

Can we fix the problem? Focusing on staff retention is vital. Retention is not always about money; career and personal growth are essential. Also, don’t sweat the small stuff. For example, today I was told by the pharmacy that we had to lock our injection cart between each of my 50 patient injections. I was incredulous, but had to let it go. For my part, I will look for ways to reduce burden and support my team. Everyone likes to feel they are valued. Now, more than ever, we need to help each other. RP