I went to lunch last Thursday with my colleague, Shirley. Shirley has been a VP of HR for the 18 years that I have known her, and I have been able to partner with her in three of the four companies where she has worked.

Shirley wanted to meet with me because she had just started to work for a new company, one that is 100% virtual. Shirley had three compelling factors leading her to make the decision to move. She had just bought a beach house and she wanted to spend more time in it, she didn’t like her former company’s approach to Covid, and she wasn’t ready to retire.

That same night I found myself at dinner with my friends Marci and Dawn. Marci is an engineer, and Dawn is an educator. They had both recently made the decision to retire early; Dawn because she didn’t like the way her administrator talked to her, and Marci because she was experiencing sexism at work.

Not only was Thursday a high-calorie day, it made me reflect on a recent trend I have been watching. It is not just skilled, mature women who are making career changes. On Saturday night, my neighbor Jim told me that he would quit his job if he were asked to return to in-person work.

And there was Paul who won’t admit to actively looking, but I can tell from my coaching calls with him how annoyed he is that they “now need a second car” since both he and his wife are newly required to report to their offices.

This article discusses the priority that many employees now place on remote work: 

Employees Are Quitting Rather Than Giving Up Work From Home

Quit rates are already on the rise. In April, 2.7% of workers left their jobs, the highest share in over 20 years: 

Quit Rates Soar As Pandemic Wanes

If you are a manager or leader of an organization, I recommend reading Leading at a Distance: Practical Lessons for Virtual Success by James M. Citrin and Darleen DeRosa.

If you would like to talk about how to create collaboration while being flexible in your workplace, give me a call.