Nearly 48 million Americans quit their jobs in 2021, the highest number ever recorded in the United States. Other developed nations are seeing similar trends. The massive upheavals of the past two years — the pandemic, racial reckoning, political upheavals and environmental disasters — caused many to reflect and take stock of their lives and what matters most to them. This reevaluation has led to some major life changes, especially at work.

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​​More than a million Americans died of COVID-19. Official estimates put the global death toll from COVID at over 6 million people, although the true toll may be closer to triple that number, when we add up deaths not directly attributable to the virus, such as people who died from a lack of accessible treatment for other diseases due to overwhelmed hospitals, COVID-related homicides and deaths that were simply not counted. As people deal with the loss of so many relationships, jobs, health and dreams for life as they once knew it, it's no wonder nothing quite looks the same. Psychotherapist Meghan Riordan Jarvis emphasizes the role of grief as a motivator for change. “Shouldn’t it be obvious that 6 million deaths worldwide from COVID-19 might affect how we feel about work and the workplace? Are we so afraid to face grief and loss we can’t even name it?”

Audrey* (not her real name) had worked at a tech startup from its inception. She believed fervently in the founder’s goals and worked day and night to make them a reality. “I loved that company,” she said. “I thought I’d stay there forever.”

But she didn’t. During the pandemic, the time away from the office every day gave her room to think about herself and her own priorities. She did more yoga and drew firmer boundaries. Most importantly, she realized, “In the six years I worked there, my boss never thanked me, for anything. He was so focused on build, build, build, it was like he didn't even see me. Anyway, as soon as I started looking, I got another job that paid me twice as much. ..."

An EY study of 1,000 workers found a direct correlation between job retention and how empathetic they perceived their workplace to be. A majority of those included in the study also felt that empathetic leadership at work increased their efficiency, creativity and innovation. Another survey found that 80% of employees would be willing to leave their job if they found a more empathetic employer and 57% would take a pay cut to do so.

Empathy at work means that we are seen and valued for who we are, not merely what we can produce. What people crave in the COVID era is connection and a sense of belonging at work. Unfortunately, many are not finding it. In a study of 2,000 workers from around the world, more than half reported that they experience loneliness at least on a weekly basis, and more than two-thirds experience loneliness on a monthly basis. Forty percent reported feeling isolated at work.

The pandemic also highlighted the extent to which workers of color are experiencing microaggressions at work. Paradoxically, 54% of Black workers reported that they felt a sense of belonging at their companies for the first time only when working from home, and just 3% wanted to return to the office full time. As author Minda Harts writes, “People may tell you to bring your authentic self to work, but what they really mean is, ‘bring the version of yourself that we’re most comfortable with.’”

Take Our Poll: How often do you feel valued at work?

How can we build better relationships at work? Aparna Ranganathan, the head of HR at OZY, emphasizes the importance of workplaces intentionally creating safe space for employees to truly come as they are. She shares her purposeful approach of leadership by example: “I have tattoos and I’m not afraid to express myself through my style and fashion. I make it known that I am a single mom of kids, which helps people understand me better, and also encourages others to do the same.”

Other activities some companies invest in for a healthier community:

• Employee Resource Groups can build powerful connections and support for minority employees and other affinity groups.
• Group activities, like a charity walk or an office trivia contest, can be fun ways to get to know one another and share a common goal. Some companies eager to promote bonding have creatively sponsored “fun committees” to diversify the types of outings and gatherings they organize to appeal to a wider number of people.
• Gratitude: We should all work on expressing gratitude more, which both helps others to feel seen and appreciated and builds our own happiness and resilience.
• Checking in: Finally, don’t underestimate the value of simply checking in with each other. This is especially important for supervisors: A WorkHuman survey found that psychological safety at work was highest among workers whose managers checked in with them at least once a week, but only 29% did so.

Take Our Poll: How often do you talk to your boss about something that is not related to work?

Many around the world have other things on their mind rather than how to improve their workplace, as COVID-19 continues to rage across the globe. Roughly 255 million jobs were lost in 2020 due to the pandemic, largely in Latin America, the Caribbean, Southern Europe and Southern Asia. The war in Ukraine has also added fear and uncertainty to economies just beginning to bounce back.

South Africa’s unemployment rate hit a record high of 35.3% in the fourth quarter of 2021, largely due to cuts in manufacturing and construction. Meanwhile, inflation is climbing and consumers are facing surging fuel, electricity and food costs. As in other countries, the people hardest hit are those already struggling to get by.

The country hardest hit by COVID-19 in terms of percentage of lives lost is Peru. Peru continues to suffer the consequences of the pandemic in every sector, from schools that are just now beginning to reopen after two years of closure, to economic turmoil in a country with little in the way of social support, as well as skyrocketing violence against women and girls.

As we work to recover from the turmoil of the past two years and make decisions about reopening, we might take the opportunity to think about how we want to shift our organizational cultures and our ways of working. A recurring theme voiced by workers during the pandemic is the importance of choice and flexibility. Some are eager to get back to a more familiar daily routine in the office, others have come to rely on the flexibility of working remotely, which allows them to manage child care, elder care or a disability. Some people just feel more productive at home. Employers that provide as much flexibility as they can and empathetically support their teams will be rewarded with hard work and loyalty through this transition — whatever comes next.

Katharine Manning is the President of Blackbird DC, which provides training and coaching on empathy at work, particularly in challenging times when it matters most. She is the author of The Empathetic Workplace: Five Steps to a Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma on the Job. She has worked on issues of trauma and victimization for more than 25 years.

We want to hear from you! How is the Great Resignation changing how you think about work? Join the conversation and share with us on FB, IG, Twitter with the hashtag #ElevatetheConversation #OZY #GreatResignation #EmpathyAtWork. Write to us at: [email protected] and take our poll.