In TV land, people may get their hustle on trying to impress a boss like
Donald Trump. But in the real world, large numbers of Americans aren't waiting around for someone to say: "You're fired!" Instead, an increasing number of U.S. employees are quitting their jobs, according to a report in the
Wall Street Journal. The Journal says that in February, the number of workers saying "I quit" surpassed the number of employees who got laid off -- the first time that's happened since October 2008.
The Journal reports that two main factors are at play: First, unlike during the peak of the recession, when jobs were more scarce and people worried more about job security, workers today seem to feel that they have more employment options. Therefore, there is some amount of natural turnover as people simply quit to pursue other opportunities or resign because they get frustrated about not getting expected promotions.
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Before They Were Famous
Before Angela Bassett became a huge star in front of the camera, she earned her living doing business on the other side of the lens...
Michael Tullberg, Getty Images
West Yorkshire Police
BlackVoices.com
Before They Were Famous
Mary J. Blige is known for her creatively coiffed crown of hair for good reason...
Before They Were Famous
Mary J. Blige:
At-Home Hairdresser
From Starpulse.com: "Blige spent the first few years of her life in Savannah, GA, before moving with her mother and older sister to the Schlobam housing projects in Yonkers, NY. Her rough life there produced more than a few scars, physical and otherwise, and Blige dropped out of high school her junior year, instead spending time doing her friends' hair in her mother's apartment and hanging out."
Mary started to make her own way in the world in a profession that many take for granted. The at-home hairdresser is a very important staple of many communities, as she uses her skills to help women who can't afford a professional salon to stay pampered and beautiful. We salute you!
Before They Were Famous
Denzel Washington is no stranger to the hair business himself...
Before They Were Famous
Denzel Washington: Barber
From Tiscali: "It's often been said that the boy picked up his desire to act from the flamboyant communication that went on around him at this time. He certainly picked up a desire to work - the family ethic was very strong - and young Denzel found himself labouring in barber shops and beauty parlours from the age of 11."
The neighborhood barber is an important institution in many communities. Even though they don't get paid much, men's salons are like private social clubs that allow them to relax and connect at an affordable price. Workers in these establishments not only groom the body -- they soothe the soul.
Before They Were Famous
Ellen is known for her dancing, but she used to be a different kind of mover back in the day...
Before They Were Famous
Ellen Degenres: Car Wash Driver
From CareerBuilder.com: "I actually liked my first job. I was driving cars out of a car wash, you know, once the car comes out, you get in and you wipe it. That was exciting to me to drive the nice cars and wipe down the [dashboard] with Emerald."
We often take for granted all the folks at the local war wash. They may be working for little more than tips, but they keep our cars clean and fresh, making a huge positive impact on our daily lives.
Before They Were Famous
Jennifer Lopez has displayed a high level of discipline and organization in plotting her megastar career. She must have learned those skills during one of her first jobs...
Before They Were Famous
Jennifer Lopez: Legal Assistant
From 2spare.com: "Long before Jennifer Lopez sang, danced and acted her way to superstardom, she briefly traded in her velour tracksuit for a suit of the pin-striped variety while working at a law office."
It's hard to imagine someone as driven as Jennifer Lopez being an assistant, but J.Lo paid her dues by helping her bosses meet their goals. It's hard for anybody to put others first, but that's what assistants do in every field. They deserve to be appreciated for this.
Before They Were Famous
Before Angela Bassett became a huge star in front of the camera, she earned her living doing business on the other side of the lens...
Before They Were Famous
Angela Bassett:
Photo Researcher
From Yuddy.com: "After working as a beauty salon receptionist and photo researcher, Bassett got started with her acting career in New York Theater, after which she landed her first role-as a prostitute-in the 1985 TV movie 'Doubletake,' starring Richard Crenna and Beverly D'Angelo. The following year she landed her first official film role as a TV reporter in 'F/X.'"
Whenever we look at a magazine, or in a book with pictures, we are seeing the work of some one like Bassett in her early career. We never think of the faceless, nameless men and women who look for all the photos that illustrate concepts, news and ideas in every facet of our daily lives, ranging from Web sites to education. But every one of those photos was hand-selected by someone, most often an anonymous, but dedicated and not-too-well-paid pro. What would life be like without all the hundreds of pictures we enjoy every day?
Before They Were Famous
Additionally, others are quitting due to low morale. Scores of workers have watched their colleagues get pink slips. Then those same workers still on the job are often asked to do more work to pick up the slack. Apparently, a growing number of people are deciding to voluntarily leave those jobs.
This report fascinated me, mainly because, in many cases, you have to practically pry someone's dead fingers away from a certain job. For whatever reasons (and most of them boil down to financial), U.S. workers can absolutely hate their jobs but often refuse to quit. I hear people complain all the time about incompetent bosses, low pay, crazy co-workers... you name it. But those same complaining people almost never leave that bad employment situation.
So it's encouraging to see that perhaps a lot more workers are getting up the gumption to exit unsatisfying jobs. I'm sure a nice percentage of these people won't just float to new employers, but instead start their own businesses. If so, that could be a boon to those start-up entrepreneurs and to our overall economy.
Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, an award-winning financial news journalist and former Wall Street Journal reporter for CNBC, has been featured in the Washington Post, USA Today, and the New York Times, as well as magazines ranging from Essence and Redbook to Black Enterprise and Smart Money. Check out her New York Times best seller
'Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom.'
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Comments: (6)
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By: SCY385 on 5/26/2010 6:30PM
I think it would depend on your personal situation. I had a job last year with Wal-Mart. Just a part-time thing for some me-money. My husband does rather well so it wasn't like the money was a dire necessity. That was one of the worst decisions I could have made. I wound up working 40 hour weeks and being asked to do way more than $6.70 an hour would cover. I AM NOT going to run a cash register, stock shelves, answer the phone, get people into the dressing room, and deal with some of the stupidest management ever for a lousy $6.70 an hour. I left after about 3 months of some of the most ignorant foolishness you could ever deal with. Some of these jobs are not worth keeping and there is a reason that some places are always looking for new workers. Ask Wal-Mart employees.
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By: justmythoughts on 5/27/2010 12:25PM
I agree that it does depend on your personal situation. I gave my 2 weeks notice to my boss about a week ago. My issue wasn't that I was looking for a raise or anything like that. It just got to the point that the business was not cracked up to be what I had previously assumed. Through God's help, He helped me to understand the many meanings of working retail and the consequences that come along with it.
I left because I wasn't doen with lying to people to meet a metric goal. I couldn't live my life knowing that my words were false. It was causing my relationship with God to become burdened.
Nonetheless, it's not smart to stand up and leave a job if you don't have something to stand on. I encourage people to leave their job when they're unhappy ONLY if they have thought everything out and know what to expect. Don't allow WISHFUL THINKING TO CLOUD YOUR BEST JUDGEMENTS
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By: Can (Unsure in Chicago) on 5/28/2010 11:45AM
Can you quit and get unemployment I live in chicago and work for a healthcare facility that fights tooth and nail their employees. I heard you have to have good cause.
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By: Sherri on 5/30/2010 4:14PM
You may not be able to get unemployment compensation if you just quit. It's a good idea to do your research on Illinois state employment laws before you throw in the towel. There is a thing called constructive termination that many employers engage in. They purposefully create an miserable working environment that is designed to drive unwanted employees out. If they can force employees to quit instead of firing them, then they're off the hook for having to pay out severage packages and unemployment benefits. If you can prove such a thing, then you may be entitled to compensation.
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By: Sherri on 5/27/2010 7:02PM
I left a job in the latter part of 2008 because of a very hostile work environment. I was under the supervision of an incompetent bully boss who lectured employees for 1 1/2 hours at a time and micromanaged to no end. The old bat would even follow you to the bathroom & ride you about clocking in 1 minute late. I started to become bitter because I was one of the department's most productive employees, but that was never good enough. I left because I started to daydream about killing that witch boss and her loud mouth flunky. I didn't want to be involved in the next headline about workplace violence. So I called it quits. It was the best career move I ever made. Financially, I'm in a better position.
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By: MysticalLady on 5/28/2010 12:11PM
LOL, I can relate to your post...It ain't easy out here.. Yep, it is time to go when you start visualizing the violent....LOL...I know exactly what you mean...
You never know what may trigger you to act on it..
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