When it comes to workplace trends, there’s a tug-of-war between employees and employers.
While employees have initiated or embraced trends such as quiet vacationing, loud quitting, rage-applying, Bare Minimum Mondays, career cushioning, “act your wage,”quiet quitting, shift shock, resenteeism andworking two remote jobs at once, employers are also setting trends.
Just as employers often aren’t thrilled with employee fads, workers may dislike or resent employer-generated trends such as the in-person five-day workweek, quiet firing, unlimited PTO, hot-desking and no promotions for remote workers.
In-Person, Five-Day Workweek
While many companies have embraced hybrid work arrangements and schedules — with some even offering employees the opportunity to work just four days a week with three days off — many employers still require a traditional five-day workweek. In fact, Amazon is going a step further and requiring employees to be in company offices five days a week beginning in 2025.
But many workers resent the lack of flexibility imposed by the rigid structure of being in an office, on the clock eight hours a day, five days a week, which gobbles up the vast majority of their time.
When case studies show that hybrid work arrangements and four-day workweeks can help people avoid burnout and achieve better work-life balance, it makes sense that employees might feel resentful about being stuck on the treadmill.
Quiet Firing
It’s no surprise that employees dread and fear quiet firing, which is when an employer pushes out a worker without formally laying them off or firing them. A manager might quietly fire a direct report by changing or curtailing their responsibilities, treating them poorly, or otherwise making their life unpleasant at work. Some supervisors may withhold promotions or raises.
Quiet firing might even show up as a hostile work environment and can lead employees to experience resenteeism, which is when an employee stays at a job they dislike because they don’t have other options. Some employers may feel driven to these unethical actions when dealing with an employee they wish they could fire.
[READ: 21 Qualities of Bad Managers.]
Unlimited PTO
On the surface, unlimited paid time off would seem like every employee’s dream. But after digging deeper into this trend, many employees give unlimited PTO two thumbs down. In a popular LinkedIn post, Brian de Haaff, co-founder and CEO at Aha, lists several reasons he feels workers should never accept an unlimited PTO policy, called it “inherently unfair.” De Haaff wrote: “At the core, unlimited PTO means leaders have just refused to establish a fair program and have just pushed it off to others.”
“While unlimited PTO may sound ideal, employees often end up taking less time off,” says Conor Hughes, a human resources consultant, in an email. “Without accrued days, workers feel guilty utilizing the ‘unlimited’ policy. This leads to burnout and lower productivity long-term as employees don’t recharge.”
[SEE: 20 Companies That Offer Unlimited Vacation Days]
Hot-Desking
An outgrowth of hybrid work environments, hot-desking allows employers to avoid assigning a specific desk or workstation to any individual employee. Instead, the desks are all communal and up for grabs. This setup is great for employers, who save money from the practice and can point to “collaborative benefits” of this form of workplace musical chairs.
Hughes noted that while hot-desking gives employers added flexibility, the result is that employees lose their sense of place and personal space. “Having to pack up each day and move is disruptive and stressful,” he said. “Workers cannot customize their station or keep personal items nearby. It hinders efficiency more than helps.”
No Promotions for Remote Workers
Last spring, technology company Dell, which embraced remote work early in the COVID-19 pandemic, told workers who remain fully remote that they will not be eligible for promotions. According to a 2022 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, two-thirds of supervisors of remote workers believe full-time remote work is detrimental to employees’ career objectives. Remote workers may have less visibility, which can impact their chances for mentorship, professional development and promotions.
These inequities for remote workers can backfire on employers, who may find a large portion of their workforce disengaged. As with all of these workplace trends that favor employers but not necessarily employees, it’s important for employers to consider whether policies that don’t promote employee satisfaction may ultimately lead to lowered productivity and retention.
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5 Workplace Trends That Employers Love and Workers Hate originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 12/18/24: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
