Work Relationships Matter: COVID Workforce Revolution?

I have written articles and posted a few comments about the effect the pandemic is having on the workplace. Yesterday I read three articles in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and one in the New York Times (NYT) about workplace issues. These are the titles of the articles that appeared in the November 30, WSJ: *” Workers Quit Jobs in Droves to Become Their Own Bosses”, “Goldman Sachs Rolls Out New Worker Benefits to Combat Employee Burnout” and “Some Hospitals Prepare to Lose Staff Over Covid-19 Vaccination Mandate”, The title of the NYT article is “What Europe Can Teach Us About Jobs”. In addition to these articles, NPR aired a story about the history of labor in the United States. Let me tell you, it doesn’t get any better than this for me, a Life Coach who specializes in workplace relationships. I have written articles and posted a few comments about the effect the pandemic is having on the workplace. Yesterday I read three articles in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and one in the New York Times (NYT) about workplace issues. These are the titles of the articles that appeared in the November 30, WSJ: *” Workers Quit Jobs in Droves to Become Their Own Bosses”, “Goldman Sachs Rolls Out New Worker Benefits to Combat Employee Burnout” and “Some Hospitals Prepare to Lose Staff Over Covid-19 Vaccination Mandate”, The title of the NYT article is “What Europe Can Teach Us About Jobs”. In addition to these articles, NPR aired a story about the history of labor in the United States. Let me tell you, it doesn’t get any better than this for me, a Life Coach who specializes in workplace relationships.Charles Kettering, former head of research at General Motors, is credited with saying, “A problem well stated [defined] is a problem half solved”. The inherent problems eluded to in these articles are daunting. The pandemic is the game-changer. We know it’s a problem, but people interpret the risk associated with getting the disease and getting the vaccine differently. In other words, is the problem the disease or the vaccine? Most of the people who believe the vaccine is part of the solution are fully vaccinated, then the Omicron variant appears. Will the vaccine protect us against it? This leaves government officials, business leaders, educators, and a host of other industry leaders scratching their heads.From a macro standpoint we are primarily divided into two camps, vaxers and non-vaxers. At the micro-level, it’s every person for him/herself and God for us all. According to one of the WSJ articles*, “The American workforce is rapidly changing. In August, 4.3 million workers quit their jobs, part of what many are calling “the Great Resignation.” They left for myriad reasons including, but not limited to the following: more flexibility, lack of adequate child care, commute, vaccine mandates or lack thereof, work-life balance, toxic office politics as well as better opportunities. A lot of those opportunities came in the form of working for themselves. Technology and the gig economy have helped eschew corporate life for the rewards and responsibilities of entrepreneurship. According to that same WSJ article*, 500,000 more people are self-employed since the pandemic began.This may be good for workers, but bad for organizations who need them. Organizations still have to compete against other organizations for talent, but also have to entice those with an entrepreneurial mindset. Goldman Sachs is offering more family-friendly benefits. However, benefits and more compensation are not the complete answer. It requires an understanding of what motivates people internally. With introspection and coaching organizations can create win-win employer-employee relationships.