Years
ago… decades ago… at one of my first jobs, a friend of
mine and I had a theory we used as a joke. Basically, it was that
they weren’t paying us enough, which is why the monkey that did
the job before us left.
Truth
be told, they were paying us just fine for the actual job and
responsibilities we had. The position even came with full-time
benefits like medical, had paid sick and vacation time, and schedules
with weekends and holidays off. Even holiday pay. Honestly, it
was ok.
But
it was not a job that required a lot of thought or skilled efforts.
Fairly basic stuff. Repetitive. And there wasn’t a lot of room
where advancement was going to result from being outstanding at
every evaluation.
I
often wonder about that job specifically when I hear people discussing
work environments, employee and employer expectations, and what
the difference is between fair critiques and misguided opinions.
Because the reality is, a desirable job is not as simple as just
having a job available. Employment and good employment are two
very different things. Employment opportunities and employment
opportunities that match an applicant’s needs and skills are two
very different things.
As
an example of what I mean, lately, a lot of people—and I think
we can all agree, it is A LOT of people—are blindly talking about
how people don’t want to work. And, facts in place, truth be told,
there is something to such a thought. But the idea that people
do or don’t want to work is the surface of the story. There is
much more to consider.
For
instance, have you heard that there is a big, massive, devastating
health issue out there right now? Been in all the papers. Almost
all of the news programs have shown a report or two about it.
And the thing is, the health concerns are that it is amazingly
easy to be exposed to it. Frankly, some people have legitimate
concerns in their personal world of loved ones facing medical
issues, and they need to be considered when it comes to jobs with
high public interaction. (Such concerns expand into all sorts
of areas, such as companies that aren’t putting safety practices
into place to protect customers and employees.)
As
another thought, the work environment and job duties become involved.
My joke about the monkey? Not too far off the mark when you have
people facing increased hostilities from customers and/or management.
Many businesses are facing financial strains, and such pressures
can often create difficult working conditions and stressed management
teams. In some cases, people are resigning, and in extreme cases
resigning without advance notice.
You
also occasionally hear about childcare problems being involved,
where parents are finding costs and schedules impossible to navigate.
When school may or may not be in session, with little notice of
a closure, that’s a problem for someone that suddenly needs to
stay at home with a child. Or, when daycare costs more than the
job will pay, it kind of removes the incentive to accept it.
There
are tons of studies being done into how relocation options are
difficult right now as well. Some folks can’t sell the homes they’re
in, and can’t afford a new place where a job in their industry
may be.
Here’s
a funny, out of the box thinking, possibility: an application
environment with many job openings leads to employees looking
for the best possibilities and jumping quickly toward them. When
you hear owners having issues with retention, perhaps at least
a thought should be given to what they are offering their staff
compared to what other employers are. Again, my monkey story.
This isn’t solely about a specific hourly rate. Many places aren’t
hiring for more than part-time hours, don’t include medical benefits,
and create work schedules that are difficult to predict week to
week. It’s no wonder other opportunities are more inviting. There
are places with high turnover, but there might be some things
that could be done to reduce it.
I’m
a big believer in the idea that there are three sides to every
story. In a basic way of saying it: yours, mine, and the truth.
The truth is always somewhere in between you and I, and may be
closer to one of us than the other, but rarely does it match up
perfectly.
And
that’s the case with the working monkey concept. Are there people
that don’t want to work? Yup. Sure are. Are their businesses that
aren’t paying enough? …aren’t treating staff as well, and staff
have less patience? …childcare concerns that extend beyond the
old expectations? Yup, yup, yup and how.
We
are seeing a shift in workplace considerations when it comes to
employees. Staff are taking into account their safety. They are
looking at quality of life issues like schedules, being able to
spend time and see family members, and how long a daily commute
might be. But not every job comes with the possibility of working
remotely. Some need to be done at various times around the clock
and throughout the week. Cuts both ways. But we are seeing many
businesses rise to the occasion and try to make things better
for their teams.
We
all know there used to be an accepted concept of home budgeting:
so much for shelter, so much for food, this much for transportation
and that remainder for savings. But that’s been thrown out the
window and stomped flat. It’s as outdated as how much salary is
acceptable as a minimum to invest in an engagement ring. And,
it should not be surprising that when you toss in the incredible
world-issues that have arrived over the past year to eighteen
months (and more), something of a tipping point has been reached
for many.
People
need to feel safe and valued. They need to take care of children
and families. And there’s something to be said for physical and
emotional exhaustion. It adds up.
Everyone
has a slightly different story about what is taking place in their
life. And slightly may not cover it, since vastly different may
be closer to the truth. But unless you can say you understand
all of the differences involved, you might want to step back as
the “no one wants to work” and “pay better wages” shouts are exchanged.
It’s
not as simple as counting bananas.