Thursday, January 20
Bern, Switzerland
National Salon: The Great Resignation
This month's national salon will focus on the phenomenon of "The Great Resignation." Unfamiliar with the term? Vox describes it thusly:
Workers are fed up and fighting back against low pay, poor conditions, and the general idea that work is the center of their lives.
... Perhaps, most directly, people are quitting their jobs at record rates in what’s become known as the Great Resignation.
Many had expected people to return to the workforce en masse after federal unemployment benefits expired in September. While that’s happened to some degree — the economy added more than half a million jobs [in October 2021] — there are still many more Americans holding out, thanks to a variety of reasons, from savings to lack of child care to the ongoing risks of the pandemic.
Importantly, the pandemic — as well as government social safety nets like extended unemployment benefits — gave people the time, distance, and perspective to reevaluate the place of work in their lives. This is especially notable for Americans, for whom work is considered a part of their identity and who put in more hours than most other industrialized nations.
This month's discussion won't feature an expert speaker, so we have gathered some suggested sources for you to familiarize yourself with the concept. Read or listen to as many as you like and then join us as we discuss the Great Resignation in the US and around the world.
Suggested sources:
- Hating Work is Having a Moment, Vox
- I Quit my Job Today, Slate
- The Great Resignation: Why People are Leaving Their Jobs in Record Numbers, NPR
- The Great Resignation - Do the Data Hold Up?, The Economist
- As the Pandemic Recedes, Millions of Workers are Saying 'I Quit', NPR
- The Big Question: Is the World of Work Forever Changed?, The New York Times
- Antiwork: Unemployment for All, Not Just the Rich!, reddit
About our Political Salon
One benefit of the pandemic has been the proliferation of online events. DACH has flourished during this time, as members from all over the country have been able to join events typically hosted by different chapters.
As the world opens back up (knock on wood), we want to maintain this connectivity, so we have introduced a monthly National Salon. Each month will have a leader and topic announced ahead of time and will allow members to learn from experts and each other.
If you have a suggestion for a future salon (or would like to lead one!), please email Eric at [email protected].
WHEN
Thursday, January 20, 2022 at 07:00 PM Bern Time
CONTACT
Elizabeth Voss
[email protected]