One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”

When a new boss walks into a new company, it’s unfamiliar territory to them. And it’s not just their suitcase that they’re carrying but also the weight of expectations and scrutiny, both from the higher-ups and the people they now oversee.

Driven by a desire to assert their authority and leave a lasting impression, these leaders may embark on bold initiatives or make drastic changes. However, this statement of self-validation can backfire. Just a few days ago, Reddit user MooseQuirky1702 submitted a story to the platform’s ‘Malicious Compliance‘ community that perfectly illustrates this.

In it, they explained that since the pandemic, their company had structured everything around remote work, which also brought tremendous results. However, the new guy in charge decided it was time to come back to the office. And it only went downhill from there.

This manager just left the company they had been at for 27 years, and many followed

One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”

All because the new boss was fixated on bringing them back to the office after everyone got used to working remotely

One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”

Nowadays, many companies are requiring employees to return to the office full or part-time

Since COVID-19 restrictions eased, many companies have been calling their employees back to the office because some executives and leaders believe this will increase productivity.

Among major employers, for example, JPMorgan Chase is abandoning a hybrid attendance policy it adopted during the pandemic and requiring people to return to the office. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Andy Jassy issued a mandate for corporate staffers, and Salesforce’s leadership has also drafted a return-to-office policy.

One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”

Image credits: Ant Rozetsky (not the actual photo)

However, that can be done in accordance with the employees’ needs

Workplace platform Envoy surveyed 800 company leaders who shared the incentives and changes they are employing to encourage people to return to the office.

The results showed that:

Meanwhile, Blackhawk Network, an e-commerce payment platform, conducted research into the workplace preferences of more than 3,000 Americans. The company found that while remote workers want to stay remote, various incentives can be effective in encouraging employees to return to physical offices.

In addition to monetary incentives, 49% of respondents—including those who enjoy and even prefer working in person—said they’d be more willing to work in a physical office if they were able to enjoy a four-day workweek.

Meaning that a lot of current workers are looking for flexibility in their schedules.

One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”

Image credits: ConvertKit (not the actual photo)

More than half of workers are now actively trying to make a career change

In a recent FlexJobs survey, more than 1 in 5 (21%) said inflexible work hours were the main reason why they want to quit their jobs. Fortunately, flexible schedule jobs—where the employee can work a variation of hours and be mostly in charge of their own scheduling—can help workers regain control over their working hours and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

The survey also found that as the workforce continues to shift, so do people’s attitudes toward their current profession. In fact, a whopping 58% of workers are actively trying to make a career change.

FlexJobs told Bored Panda in an email statement that the top 10 flexible schedule remote job titles in 2023 are:

FlexJobs said that people who are looking for a more flexible job could start by keeping an eye out for certain keywords in the ads, such as:

“When researching companies, see if flexible schedules are a part of everyday life or only offered to certain positions,” the team at FlexJobs highlighted. “This will help narrow the search to companies that support flexibility throughout their culture. If it’s unclear whether the role has a flexible schedule, don’t hesitate to reach out to a recruiter or HR representative to clarify.”

One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”

Image credits: Brooke Cagle (not the actual photo)

As the story went viral, its author provided more context in the comments

One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”

And people were just as appalled as the former employee

One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”

Some even shared similar experiences of their own

One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”
One Simple Choice Makes Company Face Bankruptcy: “People Started To Quit Left And Right”