There is a timely subject that is being hotly debated on Reddit lately, and it has workers calling out unsupportive employers, limited prospects for advancement, and low wages. The topic has been called the 'anti-work' movement, but that label can be a little bit misleading. What most contributors are really opposed to are exploitive workplaces.
Calling that anti-work is similar to calling someone who complains about a blizzard 'anti-weather.' You can appreciate going out in your local climate and conditions most of the time and yet still complain about the 40 centimetres of snow that just fell on your driveway.
Put another way: some employers and workplace trends deserve to be called out. Here's what has the online anti-work crowd all riled up.
The Reddit community describes itself as being "for those who want to end work, are curious about ending work, want to get the most out of a work-free life, want more information on anti-work ideas and want personal help with their own jobs/work-related struggles." The group has 1.7 million members (called 'Idlers') at the time of this writing. Roughly 40,000 of them claim not to be working.
The 'not working' group could be a growing number, as the North American Economy finds itself in the midst of 'The Great Resignation.' This is the post-COVID trend of employees quitting their jobs in search of safer, more meaningful, or better-paying opportunities.
Companies that think they can just resume old practices with a newly empowered workforce are in for an eye-opener thanks to the current labour shortage conditions. Speaking of the Great Resignation, one employer told the Canadian HR Reporter, “We’re calling it more ‘the great reckoning,’ where employers have to really start to examine how to make jobs more attractive for people.”
Employers offering no efforts to make their jobs – or hiring practices – more appealing to workers are at the core of what is fueling the anti-work movement.
Member WillieMunchright sums up his frustrations with working, "I'm tired of waking up, leaving my family for 10+ hours everyday. I'm tired of having the love and passion for a job I enjoyed, sucked out of me. I'm tired of not getting listened to. I'm tired of the constant internal debate on if I should quit but knowing I can't afford to. I'm tired of looking at my wife and telling her I have to go to work even though we both want for myself to just stay home and be a family. I'm tired of only seeing my son in the morning as he's getting up and coming home to kiss him on the head after he's already fallen asleep."
The long hours, lack of fulfilling work, and absence of work/life balance are evident in this post and many others in the community. Support for a 32-hour week, or the four-day workweek, are common themes for the contributors to the Anti-Work thread.
Another issue that frequently recurs in the debate is the failure of wages to keep up with levels of inflation. This means that workers end up putting in the same or even more hours over time for less compensation.
Bubbleslou writes, "Everything increases apart from your salary. Most of our salaries have less buying power compared to previous years. I’m fed up of people saying “you earned more then I did back when I was your age!” I know that, but you can’t buy much with it nowadays."
Up2Eleven agrees, "After busting my a$$ for almost three years for my employer, I got a 1% raise. With cost of living, I basically make 8% less than when I started. I am now embracing slack. You get what you pay for."
The anti-work movement seems to be gaining traction, as the community has more than tripled its subscribers since March 2020. That date, perhaps not coincidentally, corresponds with the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns here in North America. Many people began working from home. Once taken out of the daily commute, they suddenly had more time and a new perspective for contemplating the meaning of their work and lifestyle. Other workers continued to show up for vital, public-facing roles, which came with the sudden, added stress of a global pandemic.
Workers who often had limited benefits and virtually no job security were quite literally asked to put their lives – or at least health – on the line to keep the pharmacies, grocery stores, and other vital supply outlets open.
More and more people were reflecting on their work and whether it was providing them with the meaning and the happiness that they wanted – whether it was worth it. In many cases, they found it wanting. Hence, the Great Resignation and the Anti-Work movement.
Fortunately, those trends bring with them a glimmer of hope for workers hoping to score a better deal from their next employer. The labour shortage conditions taking hold in many parts of the economy mean that there are more jobs available than there are people willing to fill them. This situation leads to employers increasing wages and offering other incentives in order to attract the staff they need for their open positions. It's already begun to happen.
Treating candidates with respect, offering them fair wages for their contributions, and providing the work/life balance that allows staff to be successful in their professional and personal lives, may be the antidote to the anti-work sentiment.
Of course, not all employers have caught up with the trends just yet. Consider this job interview horror story from Stevenperkins2 in the Anti-Work Reddit, "Interview was scheduled for 10:45. Was told to allow for 20-30 minutes to meet with hiring manager. Waited 40 minutes to speak with someone (dunno who) for about 5 minutes then told to go wait again to meet with someone else. Come to find out there's about six of us with a 10:45 interview time. Feel like I'm being humiliated on purpose. Should I walk out? Do I make a scene?"
When faced with such rude and inconsiderate hiring practices, a candidate should indeed walk out. They shouldn't 'make a scene,' however. Don't let an unprofessional company stop you from being a professional. Take the high ground, and take your skills elsewhere.
Daddygamer423 says it best (we've cleaned up his language a little bit): "I *&%$ love seeing people leaving their %$#@ jobs for better pay and benefits. Do not ever stop!! If you’re unhappy with your pay, benefits, or work environment then please start job hunting. Find a place where you are happy to spend 40 hours a week (hopefully 32 hours a week soon). Do not let any employer treat you like &^%$. Job hunt and let them see your value after you’ve already left."
If you would like to line up your next opportunity, check out the thousands of positions available right now on Talent.com. Hopefully, we can help you find the one that's right for you.
