A Great Reimagining? The Quality of Work Life—Past, Present, and Future
Scott Schieman, University of Toronto
In a March 25, 2022 piece in The Atlantic, Derek Thompson challenges the narrative that “most Americans hate their job, and the pandemic made them really hate their job.” He cites a list of negative stories about work—that the pandemic has sparked a sharp rise in the percentage of workers who dislike their jobs; that job quality has long been in free-fall; and that there’s a generalized lack of fulfilling work. Thompson rightly pushes back, declaring: “All of these stories are wrong.” I would go even further: Not only are these stories wrong—they are harmful. To understand why, we need to get into the weeds—the data—on the bundles of job qualities that enhance satisfaction and reduce turnover. If hating work is “having a moment,” the anti-work sentiment should be unambiguously evident within each of these bundles. Moreover, within this negative framing, observers suggest that the pandemic has provided an opportunity to reimagine work. But to effectively reimagine it, we need to have an accurate and evidence-based understanding of the past and current landscape. I draw upon decades of survey data from different sources, including my own, to trace trends leading up to the present. I also supplement the survey data with qualitative insights. And I make predictions about “the future of work” (which—like so many others—will…well…likely be wrong).
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