THE STATE OF WORKPLACE MORALE:
Are Your
Employees
About to Pull
the Chute?
BY LAUREN SODERSTROM, PHR
On Aug. 9, 2010, JetBlue employee Steven Slater decided he’d had enough of his job. Rather than resign, however, he famously swore at a customer, grabbed a beer from the plane, deployed the emergency chute and slid into instant folk hero status.
Recent information indicates that Slater’s not the only one who’s ready to walk
away from his job. On June 4, 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported
that for the first time in 15 months, voluntary employee resignations had outpaced
layoffs. Many rejoiced at the news, interpreting it as a sign of an improving economy.
And they were right, of course: Historical data suggests that when employees are feeling optimistic about the overall economy, they are more likely to change jobs. Workers
were so optimistic, in fact, that many of them resigned without first securing another
job, which sent a bold statement of confidence about the future of the job market.
Unfortunately, however, the news might not all be good for associations, who also
must acknowledge a negative side to the positive trend. Indeed, now may be the right
time to ask the question: When the economy recovers, will my top talent quit?
