If unhappy with your job, get out of the rut and take action

I spent a recent weekend in Tecate with more than 140 fellow Rotarians, building seven small houses. The house I worked on was for a young family that was, until yesterday, living in a cardboard shanty with their newborn baby.

Later, at a festive celebration dinner in Tijuana, I sat next to a Rotarian from our club.

We were talking about the good work Rotary does and she said she’d love to be a fundraiser for a nonprofit that she was passionate about.

Then she added that she hated her current job, but that it pays so much she can’t afford to leave.

Clearly, she was far from living my personal credo of “wake up every day excited to go to work.” I was struck by her frustration of knowing what she wanted, but feeling unable to even consider it.

We sometimes get ourselves into a rut over a job, a relationship, or a life decision. We usually believe that there’s nothing we can do about it. But there is.

It involves empowering ourselves to take action.

There is rarely an airtight reason for anyone to think they are trapped in a job or career and can’t get out of it. This is especially true in the current robust job market in which we find ourselves.

Right now, there are far more jobs open than there are job-seekers.

When we factor in early retirements of baby boomers, low birth rates, low immigration levels, H1-B visas at a 10-year low, and parents deciding to take a break from their careers to stay home with their children, we see the issue more clearly.

Bottom line: The U.S. workingage population is stagnating.

Be aware of changes in the workplace

This is not merely a short-term issue. This is systemic. Both employers and employees need to be aware of these changes in the workplace and make adjustments according to how they are affected.

The much-respected Conference Board, a global nonprofit business membership and research group, projects that the U.S. unemployment rate could reach a

70-year low of 3.0 percent by the end of next year.

That figure ranks two percentage points below what economists refer to as “full employment,” meaning that skilled workers can demand higher wages with more benefits.

Smart employers have quickly realized that they need to become profoundly more flexible on workplace trends.

This includes compensation packages, as well as basically all work expectations — if they want to keep their employees. This especially applies to their most valued and essential employees.

Meanwhile, the employer of my Rotarian friend has conflicting trends to consider.

If she’s earning so much money that she feels she can’t leave her job, then she must be a very valuable asset.

Why is her employer not aware of how unhappy she is at work? Are they taking her for granted?

Her employer needs to become much more aware of key employees and their job satisfaction. Or it will just be a matter of time before key employees start leaving or they’re head-hunted away for better, more fulfilling jobs elsewhere.

Likewise, the unhappy employee needs to ask for changes that could allow her to enjoy her job more. If no accommodations can be made to improve the situation, she needs to actively start searching for a new position on her own.

Take action to keep and attract employees

Employers need to clearly understand the trends that are affecting their employees. Then they’d better take action to keep and attract employees over the long term.

Employees need to make sure they are fairly compensated, appreciated, and that they look forward to coming to work each day. Or, if like my fellow Rotarian, they are not feeling the love, then they need to do something about it.

Their skills are in demand as the labor pool shrinks and wages are growing quickly — all due to supply and demand.

Ask yourself: Is now the right time to consider joining the “Great Reshuffle” and the “Great Resignation”?

There are so many great jobs out there, and pay rates are steadily climbing. Go find one. You owe it to yourself. Do not suffer quietly.