Something occurred last year that caused a change in the usual job situation in Midland, Michigan. Signs began to appear in windows advertising job openings, with McDonald's, Walgreens, and Taco Bell all looking for employees. The town was experiencing a high demand for workers. Haner, a 32-year-old who left his job at Applebee's and took a remote sales position at a tech company, questioned why work shouldn't be centered around people like him. He referred to the Great Resignation, where over 40 million people left their jobs, particularly in retail and hospitality, to seek better opportunities. This movement led to various terms being used, such as the Great Renegotiation, the Great Reshuffle, and the Great Rethink, but people were not abandoning the workforce entirely. They still needed to earn money despite much of the pandemic assistance ending by the fall and savings rates decreasing to 6.4% by January, the lowest in nine years. Workers discovered they could find more lucrative opportunities with higher pay and stable hours. Flexibility was key. Employees were demanding more from their employers and seemed to be receiving it. Applebee's emphasized the importance of safety for both workers and guests. Kevin Carroll, the company's chief operations officer, stated that aggressive behavior would not be tolerated. Workers nationwide were experiencing a surge in opportunities and could now reject the rigid bosses and customer abuse they had previously endured. In order to keep businesses operational, employers had to begin listening to their workers. Nick Bunker, director of economic research for North America at Indeed’s hiring lab, viewed the situation as people seizing the abundance of job opportunities rather than rejecting work. As vaccines and stimulus money became available last year, businesses faced a shortage of workers and workers reevaluated their expectations from employers. This did not result in millions of workers quitting permanently and abandoning their laptops. It involved low-wage workers leaving their jobs and applying to other businesses that were hiring. It also involved white-collar workers, encouraged by the competitive job market, asserting their preferences for how and where they work. Tim Ryan, the US chair of PwC, emphasized the power that employees now have, as the company undergoes a three-year transition to offer more flexible work arrangements, including allowing many employees to work remotely permanently, which is estimated to cost $2.4 billion. This workplace transformation is so significant that the executive had to use a Disney reference from 2003 to explain it, likening it to a line from "Pirates of the Caribbean." Ryan continued by paraphrasing Captain Hector Barbossa's dialogue about ghost stories, emphasizing the significant transformation happening in the workplace that many people may not even realize. Data from the Bureau of Labour Statistics and the census show that many of last year's job quitters are actually job swappers, particularly in industries such as leisure, hospitality, and retail. For example, in leisure and hospitality, the rate of workers quitting has increased from 4% to nearly 6% since the start of the pandemic. In the retail sector, the rate of job turnover increased from 3.5% to nearly 5%. Employers in white-collar industries continued to have difficulties with hiring, but they experienced fewer resignations. For example, the resignation rate in the finance industry decreased at the beginning of the pandemic and is now slightly below 2%. Similarly, the resignation rates in the media and technology sectors remained relatively stable, also below 2%. When employees changed jobs, they frequently received higher pay. Wages in the leisure and hospitality sector grew by almost 10% in the past year, and by over 7% in the retail sector. Workers were able to extend their shift hours, with fewer people working part-time involuntarily. A small number of individuals left the workforce, mostly older men retiring before age 65, some of whom are now returning to work. The gap between retiring baby boomers and the smaller number of young people entering the workforce has also led to a tighter labor supply. Overall, people are not ready to stop working and must continue due to financial reasons. Last year saw a trend of people moving to new jobs, working more hours, and receiving higher pay instead of giving up on work. Workers did not really change their feelings towards work, but rather their expectations. According to Rebecca Givan, an associate professor of labour studies at Rutgers, most people work out of necessity rather than desire. However, workers are now demanding more accountability from their bosses. For example, Porsha Sharon recalls witnessing customer outbursts at Buddy's Pizza in Troy, Michigan, where a customer got upset when asked what kind of pizza they wanted. Other customers made fun of Sharon for wearing a mask, asking her if she was dense. Sharon endured eight-hour shifts at the pizzeria, which left her with burning pain in her swollen feet. In March, she received an offer to work as an administrative assistant at a law firm, a job she had done temporarily in college. Last month, she decided to quit the pizzeria. Sharon expressed her belief that the previous generation stayed in miserable jobs because they felt they were supposed to, but she and her peers are different and she appreciates that. Katy Dean, the chief operating officer of Buddy's Pizza, a Michigan restaurant chain, expressed how some workers feel overwhelmed and sick due to overwork, with abusive customers being a difficult aspect of the current food service industry. Dean stated that if a guest is disrespectful, managers have the authority to ask them to leave. This situation has been labeled as anti-ambition, but it has also sparked a wave of calls for better job conditions, such as promotions, stable hours, and various types of leave. A sign outside a McDonald's, featured in a popular TikTok video, expressed the sentiment that many people are no longer willing to work under these conditions. Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich responded by saying that no one wants to be taken advantage of anymore. Last year, when millions of people quit their jobs, the impact was not limited to just the companies and industries involved. White-collar workers were not leaving their jobs at the same rate as those in hospitality and retail, but they were still making strong demands of their employers, aware that unemployment is low and there is fierce competition for talent. Bunker noted that there is a threat of quitting rather than actual quitting, as employees recognize their bargaining power and are using it, especially when it comes to flexibility. The closure of offices resulted in workers feeling a sense of independence that they were not willing to give up. Even some high-ranking bosses on Wall Street acknowledged that traditional practices were no longer sustainable. Companies like Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and BNY Mellon informed employees that their return to the office would be a hybrid model, allowing for fewer days of commuting. Only 8% of Manhattan office workers have resumed working in the office five days a week, as reported by the Partnership for New York City. Lyssa Walker White, 38, mentioned that her quality of life improved significantly after switching to a nonprofit job earlier this year, as her previous employer expected her to return to the office, which she found was not worth it. Some employers attempted to bring their employees back to the office for part of the week, only to encounter strong resistance. Apple, for instance, faced backlash from workers who were against the mandate to return to the office three days a week. In a letter to the company, employees expressed their opposition to being told how often they had to work in person and asked for more flexibility in determining their work arrangements. Apple did not provide a response and continues to enforce its hybrid return-to-office policy. In other professional environments, newly established unions began advocating for the rights of remote workers. The Nonprofit Professional Employees Union, for instance, saw a significant increase in membership from 12 organizations and 300 workers in 2018 to around 50 organizations and 1,300 workers this year. One member organization successfully negotiated for managers to cover travel expenses for employees who had to commute. Another organization persuaded management to provide written explanations to employees required to return to the office. Jessica Kriegel, head of people and culture at Experience.com, a technology company, recently discussed various encounters with empowered staff alongside human resources colleagues at an industry conference. There were stories about employees requesting raises four times the amount of their current salaries. There were also stories about company strategy meetings that used to be exclusive retreats in Napa, California, but now included junior staff in town hall meetings. Kriegel mentioned giving a significant raise to a top performer, and witnessing another employee go through three promotions in just one year. Kriegel noted that some employees were requesting title changes not necessarily tied to financial promotions just to update their LinkedIn profiles. This has led to entry-level employees receiving director-level titles. The human resources director finds it ironic when colleagues claim employees are overworking, as she sees her staff actively pursuing the type of work they desire. She stated that people are starting to feel more confident and less fearful, emphasizing that it is not about lacking ambition but rather having great ambition. Haner, who used to work at Applebee's, recently received a 16% raise at his new job, which now pays him significantly more per hour than his previous job. He speaks highly of the meaningful conversations he has with his manager and appreciates the bereavement leave offered by his company, a benefit he believes would not have been available at Applebee's. Even though his job is still a job, the feeling of dread that used to accompany his morning alarm has been replaced by a new sense of being treated with respect.