Most people work to live, not live to work. But considering the amount of time most people spend in the workplace, over time, many employees come to value morale over money. Not surprisingly, job satisfaction is often directly tied to workplace culture: Employees survive and thrive when they feel supported, leave when they feel devalued. A main complaint from employees who have traded salary for satisfaction is not overt discrimination or harassment; it is incivility.
Layoffs cause fear, anger, and deep loss of trust among remaining employees. Research indicates that targeting just 1% of a workforce increases turnover by 31%. Another survey found that 74% of employees reported a productivity decline following layoffs.
Employee turnover surged to unprecedented levels during the Great Resignation, with younger employees showing a higher propensity to consider leaving their roles. Retention is increasingly focused on purpose, progression, and aligned values, rather than solely on salary.