It’s no overstatement to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted how an entire generation thinks about work. It’s given people the chance to reprioritise and realign with their personal values. And along the way, there have been mass movements that centre people over profit. That’s what we’re covering with this month’s three #DiversityDictionary terms. Enjoy!

THE GREAT RESIGNATION

‘The Great Resignation’ is a global workplace trend where a significant number of employees have been voluntarily leaving their jobs since the start of the pandemic.

The term was coined by professor Anthony Klotz in late 2020, when he noticed a trend of people leaving their jobs voluntarily during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US.

It was a theory that quickly became a reality in 2021, when millions of employees were resigning, often without another job lined up. While the theory began in the States, it’s now proven to be a global phenomenon, transforming the way we think about work.

What has spurred the Great Resignation? Research suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for people acting on underlying sentiments that may have been easier to ignore in the ‘before times’.

The pandemic heightened feelings of job dissatisfaction, lack of sense of purpose and increased burnout. For many the COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call, and a chance to reprioritise what work meant to them and realign with personal values.

Research has also shown that a toxic corporate culture is one the biggest driving factors for people leaving. The leading elements contributing to toxic cultures include failure to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion; workers feeling disrespected; and unethical behaviour. (Source: MIT Sloan, Management Review)

This is significant, because while DEI may have felt like a nice-to-have and maybe even an inconvenience to some before the pandemic, it’s now proving to be a must-have if companies want to attract and retain the best talent.

The Great Resignation means that job-seekers have the upper-hand, and those who have been historically marginalised can demand better. It means employers having to step up and prioritise cultural aspects like belonging, flexible and hybrid working, and ethical practices. It means having to offer benefits that go above and beyond the statutory requirements.

There's an incredible opportunity for organisations to future proof their businesses by prioritising the humanity of those who make their businesses thrive and succeed.

MILLENNIAL SOCIALISM

Millennial socialism describes a resurgence of interest in the economic and political model of socialism and social democracy, particularly among people born in the 1980s and later. , who are generationally known as Millennials (born before 1996) or Generation Z (born after 1996).

Broadly speaking, socialism is a political and economic system where property and the means of production are owned by the public, or a majority, and typically controlled by the state or government. Socialism is based on the idea that common or public ownership of resources and means of production leads to a more equal society. (Source: NatGeo)

It’s usually placed in contrast to capitalism, which is a political and economic system based on private ownership of resources and means of production, and individual choices in a free market.

For decades, capitalism has enjoyed great PR, being seen as a means to better quality of life and freedom, while the reality of how it is inherently built on the exploitation of people and the planet is often brushed aside.

In more recent years, millennials and Gen Z have become disillusioned with capitalism. After all, they’ve come of age in the wake of misguided foreign wars, a devastating financial crisis, economic growth that has mainly benefited the rich and financial cuts that have been aimed at the poor. (Source: The Economist)

A recent study showed that nearly 80% of young people in Britain blame capitalism for the housing crisis, while 75% believe the climate emergency is “specifically a capitalist problem” and all in all, 67% want to live under a socialist economic system. (Source: Guardian)

For millennial socialists, the ‘freedoms’ promised by capitalism are limited. They believe that spreading economic and political power more widely will allow more people to make choices about what they want in their lives. (Source: The Economist)

From a millennial socialist perspective, this is an expansive and inclusive version of freedom that doesn’t rely on the exploitation of marginalised people, respects the limited resources of the planet, and the redistribution of wealth for greater equality and equity.

TANG PING

Tang ping is a social movement that has emerged in China as a response to a culture of overworking. It literally translates to ‘lying flat’.

The phrase was coined in April 2021, on a Chinese online forum, and grew in popularity, despite facing censorship, where posts and groups discussing tang ping on forums have been deleted.

The philosophy is about taking a break from the long and intense expectations from China’s working culture. In China’s tech industry in particular, employees are expected to work a ‘996’ pattern: 9am to 9pm, six days a week.

Critics of the movement have described it as ‘defeatist’ at best, and ‘shameful’ at worst. There has been the suggestion that younger generations are jeopardising their futures by taking this stance. (source: Washington Post)

While long hours are promoted by the government to keep the Chinese economy running, this way of working is ultimately unsustainable and leads to burnout and worse.

The movement has come about in the broader context of the increased pressures placed on young Chinese citizens. This is a demographic that has grown up under the one-child policy. They’re expected to work longer hours than their predecessors in order to support them. And it’s worth noting that the ageing population is twice as large as the working population. (Source: BBC)

China is a communist state that participates in a global free market (and capitalist) economy, which means that there is the pressure to maintain growth in order to fulfil its goals of global domination. (Source: Guardian)

In this context, tang ping is an act of resistance that goes beyond simply having a lie-down. It’s about rejecting the pressure to prop up and propel the economy at the cost of human wellbeing, by not only working less hours, but choosing to consume less and depart from the pressure of materialism as status symbols.

Our mission at The Other Box is to make space for difference. Diversity Dictionary is where we explore meanings and histories of the language of diversity, beyond a dictionary definition, so we can all build a deeper awareness and critical understanding of perspectives that may be different to our own.

On all our social channels, we share weekly words and their definitions, with a different theme each month. These terms are a taster and have been taken from our Diversity Dictionary™ course in our TOB for Teams™ programme. If you'd like to learn more, check out our courses page and fill in the contact form. 

Is there a theme you’d like to see covered in Diversity Dictionary? Let us know! Our work is co-created by our community to work towards creating a world that is more inclusive and safe for everyone.

Words by Roshni Goyate

Header image by Manki Kim on Unsplash