Qu'est-ce que The Great Resignation ?

Definition

The Great Resignation refers to the unprecedented wave of voluntary job departures that began in the United States in early 2021, coined by organisational psychologist Anthony Klotz. Tens of millions of workers left their jobs — in the US, a record 47 million resignations in 2021. The phenomenon spread globally, reflecting a fundamental reassessment by workers of their relationship with work following the COVID-19 pandemic.

In practice

Multiple factors drove the Great Resignation: burnout from pandemic-era overwork; discovery of remote work's possibilities and demand for it to continue; rejection of inflexible, commute-heavy work arrangements; reassessment of personal values and purpose; accumulation of savings during lockdowns reducing financial pressure; and labour market tightness creating alternatives. In Belgium, the effect was less dramatic than in the US but measurable — voluntary resignation rates and job mobility increased from 2021 onward. Sectors most affected included hospitality, retail, healthcare, and professional services. Employers learned expensive lessons about the cost of poor management, lack of flexibility and disconnection from employee needs. Many responded with permanent remote work policies, wellbeing programmes, and compensation revisions.

Key takeaway

The Great Resignation revealed that many people had been staying in jobs they actively disliked — the lesson for employers is that engagement is not the same as retention, and passive retention eventually breaks.