Making sense of why executives are eager to get employees back in the office

 

After two years, giddy executives appear on the brink of welcoming their workforces back to the office, whether their employees are ready or not.

“I can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to being together again,” Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook told his employees in a memo last week, outlining his company’s April 11 hybrid back-to-work plan.

“I hope everyone is feeling as energized as I am, and that you are looking forward to seeing your colleagues in person again in the weeks ahead,” Comcast’s NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell wrote in a Feb. 22 memo to staff. “This is an exciting time. Our offices are ready for your return across all NBCUniversal locations.”

Even President Joe Biden wrote a letter to federal workers this month telling them to show Americans the time is right to go back to work as Covid cases decline following a dramatic surge fueled by the omicron variant. He broadened his message to all Americans in his March 1 State of the Union address.

“It’s time for Americans to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again,” Biden said. “People working from home can feel safe to begin to return to the office. We’re doing that here in the federal government. The vast majority of federal workers will once again work in person.”

Yet studies show employees aren’t nearly as gung-ho about returning to work.

The Future Forum, developed by workplace-messaging platform Slack, surveyed more than 10,000 workers globally in the summer of 2021 and found an “executive-employee disconnect” with regard to returning to work. Three-quarters of all executives reported they want to work from the office three to five days a week, compared with about one-third of employees. Among executives who have primarily worked completely remotely through the pandemic, 44% said they wanted to come back to the office every day. Just 17% of employees said the same.

Other research suggests employees have been pleasantly surprised by their work-from-home experience and don’t want it to end.

There are several causes for the disconnect, said Brian Elliott, the Future Forum’s executive leader and Slack senior vice president. Many executives simply aren’t experiencing the same lives of their employees and are falling back on an antiquated view of work to make inferences about what’s important for a company to flourish, he said.

“Executives have a better setup at work,” said Elliott. “They probably have an office with a door. They probably don’t have the same child care issues as many employees. The risk that we run, as a society, even in a hybrid-work setting, is executives don’t listen to employees looking for flexibility and a real proximity bias sets in among people who are at the office and those that aren’t.”

While JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said last year remote work “doesn’t work for spontaneous idea generation” and erodes culture, Elliott said the data shows hybrid settings allow for better work-life balance while also increasing workers’ sense of belonging among the colleagues. Modern technology connects co-workers — including those who may have worked remotely before the pandemic — that levels the playing field among employees. That sense of fairness, not based on face time or who happens to have a chance meeting in an executive-suite elevator, boosts overall work satisfaction, Elliott said.

JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon speaks at the Boston College Chief Executives Club luncheon in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., November 23, 2021.

Brian Snyder | Reuters

“The data runs counter to the idea that always being in the office is the best way to foster culture,” Elliott said. “Using digital tools is really important to building a culture for people who aren’t the average white male executive. Companies that invest in modern tools and in rethinking how they bring people together will do better than those insisting in full-time office work.”

Elliott noted that while Slack benefits from work-from-home policies, all Future Forum research was completed independent of the technology company.

Cultural mythology

It’s possible the executive-employee disconnect represents a division between what’s best for the organization and what’s best for the individual, argued Art Markman, a professor of psychology and marketing at the University of Texas at Austin. In an essay for Harvard Business Review, Markman wrote that observing work by others can lead to a phenomenon called goal contagion.

“When you observe the actions of other people, you often adopt their same goals,” Markman wrote. “Being around a group of people who are working toward a common mission reinforces that goal in everyone in the workplace.”

But several of Markman’s assertations — including “the physical workplace enables moments of serendipity that can move projects along” and “it’s harder for institutional knowledge to make its way around in a remote environment” — are more fairy tale than reality, Elliott said.

“I’ve heard so many times from executives about the importance of whiteboarding, but that sentiment is always coming from the person who is controlling the pen in that whiteboard session,” Elliott said. “The truth is whiteboarding leads to group think. If you allow people to submit ideas on their own, not in a room with others, studies show you’ll get more creativity.”

lad Lapich, with tech startup company Fast, works on his computer on the first day back in the office on March 24, 2021 in San Francisco, California.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Bringing people back to the office for chance meetings in an elevator or by the water cooler is “mythology,” Elliott said. Still, it’s possible those interactions are much more valuable to an executive than to an employee — further leading to the disconnect, said Amy Zimmerman, chief people officer at Relay Payments, which has worked with founders and executives to develop and nurture culture.

Older executives rely on face-to-face communication to get a better sense for what’s going on throughout their organizations, Zimmerman said. They also may have more need for those chance conversations to keep tabs on a large number of employees, she said.

“I’ve worked with a CEO who told me he just liked the energy of the office,” said Zimmerman. “There was something about seeing the cars in the parking lot that brought him joy. The fact is, corporate America is likely changed forever. You’re making a huge mistake if you’re requiring folks back in office full time, because they see the progress most companies have made in the last two years, and they’ll ask, ‘why?’ It feels like micromanagement.”

Symbolic return

While notions that working from an office improve productivity or idea generation aren’t backed up by evidence, executive excitement about returning to work may serve a greater purpose, said Gia Ganesh, vice president of people and culture at Florence Healthcare.

The movement to bring people back to office settings may represent a fundamental human need for socialization, said Ganesh. Executive excitement about returning to offices can optimistically be seen as corporate leaders signaling to employees that it’s once again acceptable to return to pre-pandemic life. That’s an important step for human and group psychology, said Ganesh.

The fact is, corporate America is likely changed forever. You’re making a huge mistake if you require folks back in office full time because they see progress most companies have made in the last two years, and they’ll ask, ‘why?’

Amy Zimmerman

chief people officer, Relay Payments

“We work better when we’re at home, so why should we have to come into office? Why spend two hours commuting when it’s counter-productive? Because during these times of the pandemic, sense of belonging has been broken,” Ganesh said. “The workplace enables that sense of belonging.”

Like Elliott, Ganesh advocated hybrid work settings become the norm in a post-pandemic world. Just as people worry more about flying even though data shows car crashes are far more likely than plane wrecks, executives may need to retrain themselves to feel OK with this new reality, she said.

“Humans have a need for control,” said Ganesh. “As an executive, you feel you have better control and visibility if everyone is in front of you.”

While most executives would never admit it, their desire to return to the office may lead to a dip in productivity, said Zimmerman. The question is whether they’ll care.

“People can goof off in an office,” Zimmerman said. “But many executives I speak with simply miss seeing people.”

72% of Tech Workers May Quit Their Jobs. Fixing Organizational Cultures Can Help Them Stay Put

 

We’ve known for a while now that there’s a tech talent shortage. Over a decade ago, more than half of CEOs expressed concern over the dearth of talent for digital roles. By 2019, 79% had concerns. The pandemic has severely exacerbated the issue and, to make matters worse, current tech workers are unhappy and fleeing their jobs. Seven in 10 tech workers say they’re considering quitting their jobs within the next year. 

Employee expectations are high, and the performance gap is significant –just 1 in 4 knowledge workers strongly agree that their company exemplifies the factors they have identified as being important, such as well-being, employee experience, and values. The pandemic and the rise of remote work have changed the way we view our lives and the world. This has led to what organizational psychologist Anthony Klotz coined “The Great Resignation.” 

The Great Resignation

In the U.S., the Labor Department revealed that 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September 2021 – the highest number on record. The phenomenon is often associated with the United States; however, rates of resignation are high globally. In the U.K., the number of open jobs surpassed 1 million for the first time ever in August. 

Generally speaking, it’s not uncommon for employees to leave their jobs in search of new opportunities. However, the technology industry is currently experiencing an acute form of disengagement. Staff turnover among U.S. tech companies ranks at 13.2%, which is the highest attrition index among all industries, with resignation rates increasing 4.5% over the previous year.

Poor Culture Leads to Unhappy Employees

For some workers, the pandemic has triggered a monumental shift in priorities. Many are now seeing the shift as encouragement to pursue a dream job or career or transition to a different style of work. However, for many workers who were already teetering on the edge pre-pandemic, poor cultures, work overload, lack of work-life balance, burnout, and lack of opportunity have pushed them to their breaking point.

Feeling undervalued

According to TalentLMS and Workable, a large number of tech employees say they feel undervalued and unappreciated when they’re at work and are looking for opportunities where they feel their work and input is respected. This issue is particularly evident in larger businesses, where there is a greater risk that employees could feel like small fish in a big pond, and where their individual efforts and achievements are more likely to go unnoticed.

Lack of career progression

About four in 10 IT, software, and tech workers have stated that limited career progression made them consider leaving their jobs. It’s easy to feel frustrated in a job if there’s little opportunity for promotion and career advancement. In order to develop and progress within their career, employees may seek out a different, more senior position at another company.

Rigid work structure

Flex-time and remote working are becoming increasingly popular ways to work. According to Gallup, 91% of workers in the U.S. working at least some of their hours remotely are hoping their ability to work at home persists after the pandemic; 54% of employees who work remotely at least some of the time say they would ideally like to split their time between working at home and in the office. People may look elsewhere for employment if their current job is not willing to be at least a little flexible on working arrangements.

Poor collaboration

Collaboration is at the heart of many critical business processes, especially as organizations grow more virtual and geographically spread out. If the experience of collaboration is challenging or counter-productive, this can affect morale and team cohesion. People often get stressed out when their tools or lack of teamwork can’t help them get their jobs done or meet their personal career goals.

Burnout

According to SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), 48% of U.S. workers feel mentally and physically exhausted at the end of the workday, while another 41% report feeling burned out from their work. Overall mental health continues to get worse, with rates of anxiety, depression, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increasing dramatically. Citing heavier workloads, isolation, lack of work/life integration, longer working hours, and limited to no time off, tech employees are looking for new jobs and resigning from current ones in droves.

Toxic work environment

According to one study, working for a company that doesn’t value psychological well-being increases the risk of depression by 300%. Lack of recognition, favoritism, unhealthy communication, gossiping, and high turnover are a few issues that cause a toxic work culture. This can create conflict, low morale, excessive tension, negative results, illness, high turnover, and even abusive behavior amidst employees – contributing to employees quitting their jobs in search of a more positive environment. 

Become a Culture of Choice

To attract and retain top tech talent in the era of the Great Resignation organizations will need to get creative – fast. What can you do to create a company culture that’s appealing to applicants but also keeps existing employees happy and engaged? 

Here are a few key steps:

Be generous, and public, with your praise.

Oftentimes, employees only hear from leaders when something is wrong. This creates a distorted and negative perception of the value of their work and your leadership. Constructive criticism is important, but acknowledging a job well done is even more so as feeling undervalued is one of the top reasons for tech employees to quit, as noted above. 

By publicly praising your teams, you’re creating a positive perception of their value to the organization and it establishes you as an empathetic and thoughtful leader. It will also encourage others to share praise rather than withhold it, creating a positive and collaborative work environment. 

Become an ally and advocate for your team’s growth.

In a study by the University of Southern California, “Attracting and Retaining Talent: Improving the Impact of Workplace Mentorship” they identified several solutions to employee turnover, including career and professional development. With attrition rates above 13% in the tech sector, as a leader, it’s critical to develop a “mentorship” mentality, whether the objective is to develop emerging leaders, improve culture, or assist employees in meeting their career goals. 

Be the person who collaborates with your team to eliminate obstacles and open doors. When they see you care about their continued growth and opportunity—even if that means they transition to a new department or assignment—they will feel valued and more likely to stay. 

Be flexible.

1 in 3 tech workers say a lack of remote work options is a reason that would make them want to quit their job. Flexible leaders are able to change their plans to match the reality of the situation. As a result, they maintain productivity during transitions or periods of chaos. Being a flexible leader means recognizing that how and when your employees work best will vary depending on their individual circumstances. The important thing is that work gets done well – not that it gets done in a prescribed timeframe or environment. 

In addition, being a flexible leader means surrounding yourself with a diversity of thought and people, as well as being open to embracing change and new ideas or concepts. Be flexible in your own leadership style to make everyone feel comfortable and able to contribute their best to the conversation or interaction. Have an open mind and focus on your core values. This will allow you to better understand the challenges of your teams, and propose solutions to meet changing needs.   

Create space for teamwork and collaboration.

One of the biggest challenges facing the tech industry is cultivating a collaborative culture. A collaborative culture is based on openness, complete transparency, and building trust. As a leader, you must communicate your vision clearly and consistently while also making sure that your team is onboard. Share information openly, whether it’s positive or negative, and set realistic expectations so that your team members are aware of their roles in the bigger picture. Establish norms around communication, interaction, equality, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and decision making. 

Teams also need to have the right technology and tools. Without that, collaborating with colleagues on the other side of the planet would be next to impossible. The right tools enable your teams to be more effective in their daily tasks while setting up a more transparent communication channel. It also gives everyone more visibility into projects and creates opportunities for people to work on the same task. Collaboration tools can help teams manage change, communicate, and save time while remaining productive.     

Focus on employee well-being.

58% of tech workers have indicated that they’re suffering from burnout and those who suffer from burnout are twice as likely to quit their jobs than those who don’t. To help your team genuinely flourish, create conditions where two-way communication is frequent and candid. This means checking in with your team members early and often about their personal well-being, asking how they’re feeling about work and really listening to what they say. 

It’s important to not just “talk the talk.” Actively model good behavior such as taking breaks, setting guardrails around emailing after working hours, and leaving the office or being offline. Remember to think, and talk, about well-being holistically, including financial security, career satisfaction, emotional health, and workplace relationships. 

Eliminate toxicity.

39% of tech employees have cited toxic work environments as a reason for wanting to quit their jobs. Consistent bad behavior in a workplace isn’t just the result of a few “bad apples.” A toxic culture is inherently a management problem because it cannot co-exist in the presence of sound leadership. Failing to notice and act upon warning signs that something is wrong, or not fully appreciating how serious an offense may be leads to a harmful environment and high rates of attrition. 

A people manager’s job is to lead a team in a way that creates sustainable business results. Creating or allowing a toxic workplace to form will do the opposite. As a leader, it’s important to become familiar with causes of tension or dysfunction in the workplace, take employees’ concerns seriously, and understand your role in helping to mitigate toxicity when it occurs and re-establish a sense of safety. 

Leading with Empathy

The pandemic transformed the way we work and employees have more choices than ever before. Pay and benefits are no longer enough. 52% of workers say they would quit their job –and only 1 in 4 workers would accept one –if company values do not align with personal values, and that begins with culture. Although the competition is fierce for qualified tech talent, organizations must start laying the groundwork now to keep their candidate pipeline full. Leading with empathy means understanding your employees’ feelings, thoughts, and emotions.  

Being an empathetic leader allows you to connect with your team through vulnerability while assuring them that you are on top of the situation and capable of making good decisions that will benefit them and the business. Conveying a “we’re in this together” attitude, while being empathetic and vulnerable, allows your teams to model your behavior, helping to create a positive, open, and honest culture where teams feel engaged and valued.   

By building a culture built on empathy and compassion, you’re signaling that your organization understands the factors and motivations that drive an employee’s choice to stay or go.

Great Resignation? Tech Workers Try a Great Reconsideration Instead

 

Ernest Ogbuanya spent the pandemic working from his home in Virginia, near Amazon’s HQ2, supporting the Amazon Web Services network. The work could be stressful—thousands of businesses rely on the Amazon cloud—but Ogbuanya liked knowing the work was important, and that he could do it without leaving his house. Then Amazon announced that everyone would be returning to the office in January. That didn’t fly for Ogbuanya. So when a hiring manager reached out from an all-remote job at OutSystems, he jumped at the chance, and even took a pay cut. “Being able to work from home permanently was the selling point for me,” he says.

Ogbuanya isn’t alone in reconsidering his priorities around work. More Americans have quit their jobs in the past few months than ever before, many citing job requirements that are no longer worth the paycheck. For tech workers—who are already high paid and in demand—this has led to a reshuffling within the industry. Tech workers are moving between jobs with new demands, including the ability to work remotely, more flexibility in work hours, and more time spent on meaningful tasks.

“When I’ve talked to engineers, one of the things they’ve been prioritizing, in addition to freedom and flexibility, is really about how the work can be important,” says Kit Merker, the COO of Nobl9, a software reliability platform. “It used to be about the campus, the perks, the money. But if you're sitting at home and you don’t have access to the micro kitchen, the barista, the massages, then what really is separating this job from another job?”

Merker runs a conference for site reliability engineers, and says many people in that line of work have been burnt out by the demands of keeping platforms up and running in the pandemic. Companies that make remote-work products (Slack, Zoom), video streaming (Netflix), or delivery (Doordash, Amazon) have all faced higher demand, along with higher expectations from customers in terms of how well their tech should work. Merker says that some engineers are questioning whether the stress is worth it. “It’s giving people existential angst,” he says. “Like, ‘I’m building software to help food get delivered. That’s cool, but man, it’s killing me.’”

“You’ve got people saying, ‘Now that I think about it, I have a bullshit job,’” says Joseph B. Fuller, who coleads the Future of Work Project at Harvard Business School. That’s one of the reasons he and other economists have seen white-collar workers, including those in tech, looking for new jobs in the last year. Fuller calls this phenomenon the Great Reconsideration: It’s not a total opting out of the workforce, but a reappraisal of what tech workers can expect to get out of their next job.

A poll from Citrix in September found that 35 percent of tech workers leaving a job cited burnout. In their new jobs, 40 percent of workers prioritized flexibility, and another 41 percent looked for benefits beyond financial security—including perks around wellbeing more broadly.

“You’ve got people saying, ‘Now that I think about it, I have a bullshit job.’” 

Joseph B. Fuller,  the Future of Work Project at Harvard Business School

For some, well-being includes less time spent on toilsome tasks and fewer nights and weekends on call. Zac Nickens, a hiring manager at OutSystems, says job candidates regularly ask about how the team’s workload is split up. One advantage, he says, is that his team is distributed across three geographies: some in North America, some in Portugal, others in India and Malaysia. Working across several time zones “prevents us from having a standard ‘I’m on call day and night’ rotation,” he says. “We share weekends across those teams as well, it’s once every 12 weeks that someone has to be on call for a weekend. That’s really attractive to engineers.”

OutSystems is also a remote-first company, which has been an advantage in recruiting engineers like Ogbuanya. While some tech companies have vowed to return to an in-office culture next year, many are finding their employees have become accustomed to working wherever they like. Deel, an international payroll and compliance startup, has seen a 20 percent increase in its clients hiring abroad. Some, like Netflix, are expanding their global operations; others, like Coinbase, have embraced a “remote-first” office culture, where employees can work anywhere in the world. But others have had to make concessions to talent that wants to leave the country. “We had some big companies come to us and say, ‘My best engineer is going back to Croatia. What am I supposed to do?’” says Alex Bouaziz, Deel’s cofounder and CEO. “They have no choice.”

What’s the net effect of all of this? For some industries, conditions in 2021 have led to a “golden age for workers.” But Fuller—who also consults with several major tech companies—says employers are at risk of making too many concessions. “One of the dumber things I’ve seen big companies do is survey their workers and say, ‘What would you like?’ What you get back is a 7-year-old’s Christmas list,” he says. (He cited an executive whose assistant has refused to return to the office because of a pandemic puppy.) Giving individual employees their own custom work arrangements can become an HR nightmare, he says, and can lead to the expectation that employers have to accommodate any request.

In tech, though, employers might not have much choice—it’s already wildly competitive to find engineering talent. “What is it actually going to take to retain talent and win competitive battles over new talent?” says Merker. Employers might not be able to compete without making concessions around where, when, and how employees work. “These things are changing the criteria, and this will have a long-term impact on the tech industry.”

Tech workers are fed up and want to quit. A few thoughtful changes could make them stay

As many as two-thirds of IT workers are open to or are already actively seeking new job opportunities, a global analysis of 18,000 employees indicates, putting CIOs in a precarious position as tech talent shortages bite.

A workforce survey conducted by analyst Gartner in Q4 2021, which included 1,755 IT employees from 40 countries, found that just 29% of IT workers have a "high intent" to stay with their current employer.

IT workers are more inclined to quit their jobs than employees in other functions, Gartner found, with a 10.2% lower intent to stay than non-IT employees – the lowest out of all corporate functions.

Less than a third of IT workers have a high intent to stay with their current employer, but the number is even lower in Australia and New Zealand (23.6%), Asia/Pacific (19.6%), and Latin America (26.9%). Even in Europe, the best-performing region, only four in 10 IT workers have a high intent to stay in their current job.

The results point to looming tech talent retention headaches for CIOs and IT managers, who are already struggling to attract key tech staff in a lean talent market while fighting numerous HR and personnel fires as overstretched teams battle burnout.

In order to retain key tech staff, CIOs might need to advocate for more flexibility in work design than the rest of the organization, said Graham Waller, analyst at Gartner.

Waller told ZDNet that the demand for tech skills, growing acceptance of remote working and a greater desire for work-life balance had shifted the power balance from employer to employee, with IT staff in particular finding themselves "in the driver's position".

"There's a hiring surge happening from a lot of enterprises, which obviously creates a lot of opportunity," said Waller.

"We looked at IT employees that changed jobs last year and 76% of them had at least two other offers. This contrasted to 43% of non-IT professionals. So there's a huge opportunity and there's a lot of power moving to the employee, in terms of the hot skills."

Young IT professionals are more likely than their older colleagues to be considering a change of job, Gartner found.

The analyst's survey indicated that IT workers aged under the age of 30 are two and a half times less likely to stay put than those over 50. Only 19.9% of IT workers aged 18 to 29 have a high likelihood to stay, compared to 48.1% of those aged 50 to 70 years.

Waller suggested that many of these younger workers were driven by a sense of purpose and the desire to work for a company that reflected their values, such as diversity, equality and inclusion. "That translates into a respect driver," Waller added.

While staff resignations are inevitable, implementing more flexible-working policies can have a demonstrable impact on reducing rates of attrition, increasing performance and attracting new talent.

In a 2021 Gartner survey of 3,000 employees across a wide range of industries, 65% of IT employees indicated that flexible work arrangements influenced their decision to stay with their employer.

CIOs should use a data-driven approach to identify workers who are most valuable to the organization and at the highest risk of quitting, and tailor hybrid work policies to keep them engaged and performing well, the analyst said.

This includes tackling burnout, which carries the combined threat of damaging productivity and engagement amongst IT workers, increasing churn rates and leaving the organization more vulnerable to security threats.

"The traditional way that a lot of managers and organisations thought about performance was to focus on employee productivity," said Waller.

"Interestingly, when we went fully remote for the most part, that metric actually got better. People were working longer hours, leaning in more, and so productivity has got better for a lot of people."

However, this model is not sustainable, Gartner said; instead, employers should adopt a more "human-centric work model" that emphasises employee wellbeing and empowerment around how, when and where they work.

Some of the most progressive companies are pioneering new schedules, such as the four-day week, noted Gartner. "The human-centric model empowers and gives flexibility to leaders and teams to decide how often [to use the office] based on the underlying work, but also people's individual circumstances," Waller said.

Meeting culture and the concept of the office as the epicentre of work also need to be challenged in order to improve the employee experience – though Waller noted that overturning old-fashioned ideas could prove tricky, particularly amongst more traditional enterprises. "They're concerned about, 'if we can't manage by visibility by walking around and seeing our people, how do we make sure they're actually working?'" he said.

While inflexible employers face watching their employees "vote with their feet and leave", implementing a hybrid-working policy poorly also carries risks. Hybrid done poorly tends to be a one-size-fits-all philosophy from the enterprise, said Waller, whereas organizations that "intentionally redesign work" with an emphasis on the individual employee stand to "out-hire, out-retain and out-perform" other organizations.

Management training plays a big role here. "Agile philosophy very much talks about managing by outcomes, not by micromanaging individual things. It gives a lot of empowerment to teams," said Waller.

He said one of the most important things in this climate is to really listen and be empathetic towards your employees: "For organisations that have done that well, they've really changed the emphasis of the manager's role to be much more centred on employee wellbeing and sustainable performance, and where they've done that, the employees are 1.7 times more likely to stay and 17% more productive."

Majority of workers who quit a job in 2021 cite low pay, no opportunities for advancement, feeling disrespected

 

The COVID-19 pandemic set off nearly unprecedented churn in the U.S. labor market. Widespread job losses in the early months of the pandemic gave way to tight labor markets in 2021, driven in part by what’s come to be known as the Great Resignation. The nation’s “quit rate” reached a 20-year high last November.

A new Pew Research Center survey finds that low pay, a lack of opportunities for advancement and feeling disrespected at work are the top reasons why Americans quit their jobs last year. The survey also finds that those who quit and are now employed elsewhere are more likely than not to say their current job has better pay, more opportunities for advancement and more work-life balance and flexibility.

Majorities of workers who quit a job in 2021 say low pay (63%), no opportunities for advancement (63%) and feeling disrespected at work (57%) were reasons why they quit, according to the Feb. 7-13 survey. At least a third say each of these were major reasons why they left.  

Roughly half say child care issues were a reason they quit a job (48% among those with a child younger than 18 in the household). A similar share point to a lack of flexibility to choose when they put in their hours (45%) or not having good benefits such as health insurance and paid time off (43%). Roughly a quarter say each of these was a major reason.

How we did this

About four-in-ten adults who quit a job last year (39%) say a reason was that they were working too many hours, while three-in-ten cite working too few hours. About a third (35%) cite wanting to relocate to a different area, while relatively few (18%) cite their employer requiring a COVID-19 vaccine as a reason.

When asked separately whether their reasons for quitting a job were related to the coronavirus outbreak, 31% say they were. Those without a four-year college degree (34%) are more likely than those with a bachelor’s degree or more education (21%) to say the pandemic played a role in their decision.

For the most part, men and women offer similar reasons for having quit a job in the past year. But there are significant differences by educational attainment.

Among adults who quit a job in 2021, those without a four-year college degree are more likely than those with at least a bachelor’s degree to point to several reasons. These include not having enough flexibility to decide when they put in their hours (49% of non-college graduates vs. 34% of college graduates), having to work too few hours (35% vs. 17%) and their employer requiring a COVID-19 vaccine (21% vs. 8%).

There are also notable differences by race and ethnicity. Non-White adults who quit a job last year are more likely than their White counterparts to say the reasons include not having enough flexibility (52% vs. 38%), wanting to relocate to a different area (41% vs. 30%), working too few hours (37% vs. 24%) or their employer requiring that they have a COVID-19 vaccine (27% vs. 10%). The non-White category includes those who identify as Black, Asian, Hispanic, some other race or multiple races. These groups could not be analyzed separately due to sample size limitations.

Many of those who switched jobs see improvements

A majority of those who quit a job in 2021 and are not retired say they are now employed, either full-time (55%) or part-time (23%). Of those, 61% say it was at least somewhat easy for them to find their current job, with 33% saying it was very easy. One-in-five say it was very or somewhat difficult, and 19% say it was neither easy nor difficult.

For the most part, workers who quit a job last year and are now employed somewhere else see their current work situation as an improvement over their most recent job. At least half of these workers say that compared with their last job, they are now earning more money (56%), have more opportunities for advancement (53%), have an easier time balancing work and family responsibilities (53%) and have more flexibility to choose when they put in their work hours (50%).

Still, sizable shares say things are either worse or unchanged in these areas compared with their last job. Fewer than half of workers who quit a job last year (42%) say they now have better benefits, such as health insurance and paid time off, while a similar share (36%) says it’s about the same. About one-in-five (22%) now say their current benefits are worse than at their last job.

College graduates are more likely than those with less education to say that compared with their last job, they are now earning more (66% vs. 51%) and have more opportunities for advancement (63% vs. 49%). In turn, those with less education are more likely than college graduates to say they are earning less in their current job (27% vs. 16%) and that they have fewer opportunities for advancement (18% vs. 9%).

Employed men and women who quit a job in 2021 offer similar assessments of how their current job compares with their last one. One notable exception is when it comes to balancing work and family responsibilities: Six-in-ten men say their current job makes it easier for them to balance work and family – higher than the share of women who say the same (48%).

Some 53% of employed adults who quit a job in 2021 say they have changed their field of work or occupation at some point in the past year. Workers younger than age 30 and those without a postgraduate degree are especially likely to say they have made this type of change.

Younger adults and those with lower incomes were more likely to quit a job in 2021

Overall, about one-in-five non-retired U.S. adults (19%) – including similar shares of men (18%) and women (20%) – say they quit a job at some point in 2021, meaning they left by choice and not because they were fired, laid off or because a temporary job had ended.

Adults younger than 30 are far more likely than older adults to have voluntarily left their job last year: 37% of young adults say they did this, compared with 17% of those ages 30 to 49, 9% of those ages 50 to 64 and 5% of those ages 65 and older.

Experiences also vary by income, education, race and ethnicity. About a quarter of adults with lower incomes (24%) say they quit a job in 2021, compared with 18% of middle-income adults and 11% of those with upper incomes.

Across educational attainment, those with a postgraduate degree are the least likely to say they quit a job at some point in 2021: 13% say this, compared with 17% of those with a bachelor’s degree, 20% of those with some college and 22% of those with a high school diploma or less education.  

About a quarter of non-retired Hispanic and Asian adults (24% each) report quitting a job last year; 18% of Black adults and 17% of White adults say the same.

“Everything Else Became Secondary”: The Real Reasons People Are Changing Careers During The Pandemic

 

When Tracy Travaglio of Pittsburgh returned to the classroom in fall of 2021 after more than a year teaching online, it was clear she was no longer solely a teacher.

She was a symptom checker. A mask enforcer. A custodian, disinfecting desks between class periods. And those tasks were on top of the increasing paperwork that had crept over the years into her job teaching high school English, writing, and journalism.

Panic attacks became a regular part of her day. “I felt like my number one job was to keep myself and my students safe at that point,” says Travaglio, who has a three-year-old son. “Everything else became secondary.”

As Covid restrictions ease, millions of workers are realizing their old ways of earning a living aren’t tenable anymore.

Though millions of people have been quitting their jobs at record levels, they’re not abandoning work forever. They’re just finding new jobs. And alongside a desire for greater financial security, some people are rethinking their entire career paths.

“Individuals are evaluating what is important and fulfilling to them, and that may mean a career change,” says Liz Cannata, vice president of human resources at online jobs platform CareerBuilder. “With more flexible, remote positions and skills-based hiring in a tough candidate market, employers are also open to more candidates.”

That means there’s opportunity for workers to transfer their skills to a new industry or type of job when they may not otherwise draw attention to their resume.

Here are three reasons why people are quitting their jobs, and how you might consider your next career move.

1. Burnout and Dissatisfaction

Salary isn’t the only reason workers are leaving their jobs.

A March survey by the Pew Research Center found that while low pay was the primary reason people left their jobs last year, it was closely followed by respondents saying they lacked opportunities for advancement in their role. And 35% of people said that feeling disrespected at work was a major reason they left.

One study from the University of Chicago found that employees worked more hours during the pandemic, but their productivity dropped. For many people, working for the past two years may feel like running on a treadmill that never turns off.

Dian Grier, a clinical therapist with online counseling platform Choosing Therapy, has noticed her clients feeling resentment toward their employers who want them to return to the office after two years of working from home. Not only will they need to take on the costs of going to work and dressing for business; they’ll lose focus time to commuting and “the sense of balance they began to feel while working from home,” Grier says.

Travaglio had been teaching for 13 years when she decided she had to stop. “The longer I taught, the more it became less about the kids and more about paperwork, more about test scores, more about stats and less about what was actually happening in your classroom.

She got jaded, she says, but deciding to leave was the hardest decision of her life.

“Teaching is a profession that it almost seems like once you’re in it, you’re in it for life, and there’s a lot of guilt associated with leaving,” she says.

Travaglio was already working part-time on the side as a stylist for subscription service Stitch Fix, which gave her a creative outlet for her love of fashion. She and her husband, who were already thinking about selling their house to move to a less expensive neighborhood, experimented with different budget scenarios to see how they’d fare financially if Travaglio left her job.

Selling their house in exchange for a cheaper mortgage helped convince her that she could quit her job. Switching their son from full-time to part time daycare helped save money too, to the tune of about $500 per month.

It’s been almost an entire academic year since Travaglio left teaching, and she says her brain is just starting to “unwind.”

2. Keeping Pandemic Flexibility

The pandemic taught people that plenty of work gets done, even when everyone has a slightly different schedule or is juggling various priorities at home.

A study highlighted by Harvard Business Review found that 59% of workers find flexibility more important than salary. It suggests that workers seek autonomy to decide when and where they work rather than a set hybrid schedule of in-person and remote work days.

Twenty-four percent of respondents of the Pew Research Center survey said child care issues drove them to quit their jobs; 25% said their role didn’t have enough flexibility to choose working hours, while 20% said they were simply working too much.

If employers aren’t willing to extend flexible scheduling to their workers, people are ready to take their skills elsewhere.

Cannata said that work-from-home remote job listings on CareerBuilder see seven times more applicants than on-location roles. “While some workers want to be in the office, some prefer a mix and others want to be solely remote,” she says. “Employers will need to be flexible as one size doesn’t fit all. Flexibility and work-life balance will continue to be important to attract and retain workers.”

Grier says her clients are “looking for freedom” that maintains or expands upon the flexibility they saw during the initial days of the pandemic. “I am sensing that companies are not adapting quickly enough, and those companies that do pick up on this new trend will be able to thrive with the best and brightest of these individuals,” she says.

3. Pay a Factor, but Not Sole Motivation

Even if pay is a secondary reason workers are considering a career change, it’s a hard one to ignore. Rapidly rising inflation over the past year has made many households realize how far their income really stretches—or doesn’t.

A March Forbes Advisor-YouGov survey found that the majority of workers who received pay raises said the increase wasn’t enough to cover their rising costs due to inflation.

And half of respondents said they were considering quitting their job to get a salary increase elsewhere.

But just because lots of people have quit their jobs and there are still plenty of available ones means there’s a natural fit for everyone. It’s typically easier for lower-wage workers to switch jobs quickly because there are more entry-level or service-related jobs available, like in the hospitality sector. As your skills get more specialized, it may take more work to match your experience with a realistic new path.

Cannata says networking in your desired new field is a crucial step when considering a career change. Online courses can also help you build skills and comfort level in your future line of work.

But the current hiring climate may offer shortcuts to a new career. Some sectors are easing up on certification requirements to get people into roles quicker, and requirements like college degrees are getting eliminated from some types of work, according to Bloomberg.

Travaglio continues to work part-time for Stitch Fix, has taken on some freelance content creation work and is boosting her presence on her personal style-focused Instagram account. She hopes her experience in fashion, technology and social media will draw attention to her resume, along with a master’s degree in communications she completed while she was teaching.

She’s not sure at this point if she wants to go back to full-time work or continue working part-time for a while. It’s a luxury, Travaglio says, to have the time and resources to think through her next move.

“It’s not lost on me that so many other people are almost stuck in their situations right now because of the pandemic,” she says. “And the pandemic is what allowed me to get out of my situation.”

New Poll Shows Roe v. Wade Decision Won’t Save Democrats in the Midterms

 

Democrats are facing a bleak reality ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. In hopes of keeping swing state voters on deck following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Roe v. Wade, many Americans are taking a step back from voting blue, amid the Biden Administration’s failed policies. 

A new Cygnal poll commissioned by the Republican State Leadership Committee, found that Americans are more worried about inflation than they are about abortion. 

Just eight percent of Americans feel abortion is a top issue for them, while 37 percent of voters say inflation and the high cost of living is their main concern, and 16 percent of people believe the economy in general is an important pressing issue. 

According to the poll, Democrats began asserting that the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision would have a major impact on state legislative races in the 2022 midterms. 

But to no avail, numbers show that Democrats are actually worse off. 

“Friday’s decision did nothing to change the headwinds state Democrats will face this year as a result of a dismal national political environment. In fact, the right/track wrong numbers and President Biden’s approval rating are worse for Democrats than in our January survey,” the poll concluded. 

Other top issues concerning the nation other than abortion is crime and immigration. 

Meanwhile, 74 percent of voters believe the nation is on the wrong track, while only 23 percent think the U.S. is doing well. This suggests that Americans will favor Republicans in the upcoming elections, as Democrats slowly drown themselves. 

Additionally, the poll found that 48 percent of Americans prefer a “Republican candidate who would act as a check and balance on President Biden and his Democratic policies, compared to the 44% who would prefer a Democratic candidate who would support President Biden and his Democratic Policies.” 

“This data is another reminder that what you see on Twitter and in the press doesn’t necessarily capture reality when it comes to voter behavior… A little more than four months from Election Day, the political environment is still a disaster for state Democrats, state Republicans have a commanding lead on what is far and away the most important issue to voters, and the issues state Democrats are trying to exploit to distract from Biden’s failing economy are not going to be salient enough to save them come November,” the poll read.

Former Secret Service Agent Dan Bongino Bulldozes J6 Tale From Star Witness

 

Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino is debunking claims made by former White House staffer Cassidy Hutchinson during testimony in front of the partisan January 6 Committee Tuesday afternoon. 

Under oath, Hutchinson told a story about President Donald Trump allegedly lunging toward the steering wheel of The Beast (the presidential limousine) after Secret Service agents told him he could not travel to the U.S. Capitol. She said the incident occurred after a speech to supporters at the Ellipse on January 6, 2022. 

Cassidy Hutchinson testifies that she was told that as then-President Donald Trump was being driven back to the White House after the Jan. 6 rally that he demanded to be taken to the Capitol and tried to grab the steering wheel from a Secret Service agent. https://t.co/JefVhEsY0b pic.twitter.com/uUyQcnSlLG— The Associated Press (@AP) June 28, 2022

But according to Bongino, her description is impossible because President Trump wasn't traveling in The Beast that day. Instead, he left in an SUV. 

Dan Bongino really seals the deal on why Cassidy Hutchinson's story 'can't possibly be true.' And he uses video. pic.twitter.com/zNmc9tJmW5— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) June 29, 2022

When the story was told in real time Tuesday, Bongino immediately questioned its validity. 

FYI, I spent over two years in the USSS transportation section and
I’m pretty darn confident that the “POTUS grabbed the steering wheel of the limo” story is either false, or exaggerated to an absurd degree. I’ll explain in detail on my podcast tomorrow, but this sounds like BS.— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) June 28, 2022

As I said, this story is bullshit. I’m sure of it. https://t.co/NEa40kMIoY— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) June 28, 2022

Molly Tuttle Has a Moment at Telluride Bluegrass Fest

For years we knew what a special seed Molly Tuttle was. She won the International Bluegrass Music Award’s Guitarist of the Year in 2017 and 2018 in an ridiculously crowded field of fellow up-and-comers and wily veterans, but this recognition didn’t feel like the apex of a career, it felt like just the very beginning. Wait until she blossomed. We had decades of dedicated bluegrass to look forward to from this former family band player turned flatpicking maestro for the ages.

But that’s not exactly how Molly Tuttle’s career manifested as she made her way out of the shadows of bluegrass side player gigs and “featuring” roles. She explored the realm of folk and songwriting, and productively so, perhaps not wanting to be hemmed in by the sometimes restrictive world of bluegrass. She wanted to make sure she defined herself, and opposed to being defined by the expectations of others.

But all of that changed when she announced the formation of her bluegrass backing band Golden Highway, and released a full-blown bluegrass album in Crooked Tree earlier this year. So often when it comes to highly-anticipated albums, our expectations outpace even the possibilities of reality. But this was not the case with Crooked Tree and Molly Tuttle. It was everything we wanted and hoped for from Molly Tuttle’s long-anticipated romp into bluegrass.

But what’s happening now with Molly Tuttle live takes it to even another level. The demure and reserved girl with otherwise blazing fingers has let it all loose with Golden Highway, having more fun than she should be allowed to, allowing few inhibitions to get in her way, even bearing her midriff in crop tops in many appearances in opposition to Billy Monroe’s suit and tie standards. Molly Tuttle was never restrained as a picker. She could articulate whatever she envisioned, only restricted by the physical laws of how fast the human fingers can articulate. But now she’s unafraid as a human, and it’s resulted in some of the best music being made at the moment within any genre.

The enthusiasm she has rekindled for bluegrass is conferred to the crowd, and has helped light a spark under the entire genre. This was in top form when she took the stage for the 49th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado on Friday, June 17th with Golden Highway. A bucket list event for any bluegrass player, playing on that stage had special meaning for Molly and her cohorts.

“I envisioned playing these songs on this stage, and it’s a dream come true,” Molly said, but her set started out a little soggy. Right as she took the stage, rain started falling, and then pouring. Molly was protected by the stage itself, but some went scurrying for shelter, while others fished for their ponchos. Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway kept on playing.

Though the diehards in the field held out and wouldn’t miss Molly Tuttle for anything, in the very front rows of the VIP section, few seats were filled due to the rain. But in a moment only the Telluride Bluegrass Festival could facilitate, none other than Dierks Bentley showed up, rain still pouring down, and he plopped himself right down in the front to take in Molly Tuttle’s set, and show his support. It was pretty darn cool.

Of course, Bentley is a part-time Telluride resident, and has a long history with bluegrass himself, first coming up playing places like The Station Inn in Nashville, and releasing the album Up on the Ridge featuring The Del McCoury Band, Alison Krauss, Chris Thile, and The Punch Brothers. Dierks definitely deserves “good dude” kudos for braving the weather. He also stuck around for the Tyler Childers set, and while leaving, made sure to hunt down Molly who was also watching side stage, and convey his appreciation for what she’s doing.

This isn’t the first time Dierks has seen Molly Tuttle. A couple of years ago at Telluride, Dierks, Molly, and mandolin player Sierra Hull performed the song “Tennessee Blues” together.

But this moment wasn’t about Dierks. It was all about Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway. Eventually the rain subsided, and they put together an excellent set that included many of the choice cuts from Crooked Tree, along with a few choice covers, like Rancid’s “Olympia, WA,” and John Hartford’s “Up On The Hill Where They Do The Boogie.”

Strong kudos also are deserved for the Golden Highway members Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (fiddle), Dominick Leslie (mandolin), Shelby Means (bass), and Kyle Tuttle (banjo) who are becoming like their own bluegrass superstars on the rising swell of Molly Tuttle attention.

Molly Tuttle definitely had a “moment” at the 2022 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and it’s likely to be one of many as she continues to distinguish herself as one of the top performers in the discipline. 

Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist June 2022 edition

 Country Music Top 25 Playlist is built to keep you informed on all the best songs and albums coming out right here, right now in country and roots music. It’s available on most all streaming formats (see below), or you can just use the song, artist, and album recommendations to find something new to listen to. New songs just added.

Newest Additions:

Matt Daniel – “Weatherman” – This Texas songwriter is definitely one to check out and get on your radar. Matt Daniel is a great blend of good songwriting and a honky tonk sound. The swaying “Weatherman” is a killer heartbreak song about falling into becoming a fair weather lover. Off Daniel’s debut album All I’ll Ever Need.

The Slocan Ramblers – “You Said Goodbye” – A great fast little bluegrass number with a country heartbreak heart, “You Said Goodbye” is off The Slocan Rambler’s new album Up The Hill and Through The Fog. Yet another young up-and-coming band giving us a lot to look forward to in the future of bluegrass.

Arlo McKinley w/ Logan Halstead – “Back Home” – Wow, what an epic song this is, featuring one of the mainstays of the Appalachian songwriters in Arlo McKinley, and one of the fastest up-and-comers in Logan Halstead. Off Arlo’s upcoming album This Mess We’re In out July 15th.

Stacy Antonel – “Always The Outsider” – Antonel’s spot on the playlist is freshened with the title track off her just-released jazz-infused album that gives you vibes of Western Swing and smart country. About never feeling like you fit in just right anywhere, this song fits perfectly on the Top 25 playlist.

Brent Cobb – “Wild & Blue” – A great early hit of John Anderson’s written by John Scott Sherrill, it made it all the way to #1 in 1982. The Steel Woods also recorded in in 2017. Brent Cobb puts that sweet and sweaty Georgia spit polish on it for the upcoming John Anderson tribute, Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson out August 5th.

Sunny Sweeney w/ Paul Cauthen – “A Song Can’t Fix Everything” – “I was stepping into the elevator at my hotel as we were leaving Chicago after a great run, and this title popped into my head,” Sweeney says about the song that she co-wrote with Lori McKenna. “It’s about just trying to find those three minutes of happiness you get relating to something and taking yourself out of your everyday life. Letting yourself slip away, it can feel like it’s going to be okay, even if, ultimately, it may not be.” Off Sweeney’s upcoming album Married Alone out September 23rd.

– – – – – – – – – –

The Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist primarily lives on Spotify, but is also available for those who use Amazon Music, YouTube, Apple Music, and Tidal. For those who don’t stream music, you can still find the song recommendations in list form below.

CLICK HERE to follow Saving Country Music on Spotify, and/or follow the Spotify Top 25 Playlist.

Please Note: The songs on this playlist are curated for listening pleasure and flow. Otherwise, they are not in any specific order.

Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist:

• “Russell County Line” – 49 Winchester – Fortune Favors The Bold
• “Always The Outsider” – Stacy Antonel – Always The Outsider
• “You Said Goodbye” – The Slocan Ramblers – Up The Hill and Through The Fog
• “Biloxi By Two” – Ellis Bullard – Piss-Hot Freightlining Country Music
• “Weatherman” – Matt Daniel – All I’ll Ever Need
• “Sad Songs” – Jaelee Roberts – Something You Didn’t Count On
• “Heavy Eyes” – Zach Bryan – American Heartbreak
• “Back Home” – Arlo McKinley w/ Logan Halstead – This Mess We’re In (7-15)
• “jackson” – Kaitlin Butts – What Else Can She Do?
• “Son of Appalachia” – Tim Goodin – Son of Appalachia EP
• “I’m Going Crazy” – Jordan Foster – I Need A Train
• “A Song Can’t Fix Everything” – Sunny Sweeney w/ Paul Cauthen – Married Alone (9-23)
• “Bourbon Whiskey” – William Beckmann – Faded Memories
• “Crooked Tree” – Molly Tuttle – Crooked Tree
• “Dusty Bottles” – Willie Nelson – A Beautiful Time
• “Lonely in Person” – Charley Crockett – Lil G.L.’s Presents: Jukebox Charley
• “12th of June” – Lyle Lovett – 12th of June (5-13)
• “In Texas With A Band” – Brennen Leigh w/ Asleep at the Wheel – Obsessed with the West
• “Scale These Walls” – Caroline Spence – True North
• “Half Grown” – Zach Bryan – American Heartbreak
• “Sweet Little Girl” – Kelsey Walson – No Regular Dog (8-12)
• “Found In A Bar” – Joshua Hedley – Neon Blue
• “Ballad of a Retired Man” – Ian Noe – River Fools & Mountain Saints
• “Gone” – Michelle Rivers – Chasing Somewhere (7-8)
• “Wild & Blue” – Brent Cobb – Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson (8-5)
• “Beyond The Stars” – Tami Neilson, Willie Nelson – Kingmaker (7-15)
• “Harder Stuff” – Adam Hood, Miranda Lambert – Bad Days Better (TBA)

Iron Maiden’s Retirement Plan: “We Will Probably Drop Dead Onstage”

 

It’s almost surreal that 1975 was 47 years ago, but that’s how long Iron Maiden have been around, and although the band is certainly old enough to hang up their instruments and call it a career, Bruce Dickinson revealed in a conversation with Full Metal Jackie that retirement is likely not in the band’s future.

Here’s what Bruce had to say, as transcribed by Blabbermouth:

“We’re not planning to retire at all, really. I think we’ll probably drop dead onstage. I can think of worse places to drop dead. But no, we’re not planning on retiring. We’re all still firing away [with] loads of energy and loads of enthusiasm, so I can’t wait to get back together [with the other guys to start rehearsing for the upcoming tour].

“With respect to our fans, we’ve got generations of fans now. Even at [my] spoken-word shows, I can crack jokes about the age of the audience only because half the audience is, like, my age, but the other half of the audience is often way, way younger. So it’s brilliant. We’ve got this whole intergenerational thing going. And, obviously, at the maiden shows, it’s even bigger, the emphasis on that. And huge numbers of women. It’s fantastic. ‘Cause it always used to be cliché, back when I was starting in the early ’80s, that heavy metal was just, like, misogynist, male-dominated stuff… But no, it’s not true. There’s loads and loads of heavy metal fans who are girls.”

It’s a safe to say that pretty much everyone is cool with Maiden never retiring. When you’ve been around for 47 years and have 17 albums to your name, no one can really blame you if the music starts to flame out a bit, but it never happened to Maiden, and we’re happy to have them play for as long as they damn well please.

Republicans Praise the Supreme Court's Ruling, Calls For Nation Wide Abortion Ban

 

Republicans and conservatives alike are praising the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade to protect innocent, unborn babies lives. 

“Today life won,” Former Vice President Mike Pence said, calling for a national total ban on abortions, saying that he commends the Justices for having the courage to strike down the controversial document, knowing it would cause mass violence through the nation by pro-abortion activists. 

“By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court of the United States has given the American people a new beginning for life and I commend the Justices in the majority for having the courage of their convictions,” Pence tweeted. 

Pence said the ruling means the “sanctity of life is restored,” vowing to protect unborn, cherished life. 

“Roe v. Wade has been consigned to the ash heap of history, a new arena in the cause of life has emerged and it is incumbent on all who cherish the sanctity of life to resolve that we will take the defense of the unborn and support for women in crisis pregnancies to every state Capitol in America. Having been given this second chance for Life, we must not rest and must not relent until the sanctity of life is restored to the center of American law in every state in the land.”

By returning the question of abortion to the states and the people, this Supreme Court has righted a historic wrong, and reaffirmed to right of the American people to govern themselves at the state level in a manner consistent with their values and aspirations.

— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) June 24, 2022

Meanwhile, Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) applaud the ruling, confirming that abortions are now illegal in his state of Texas. 

“SCOTUS just overruled Roe & Casey, ending one of the most morally & legally corrupt eras in US history. Praise the Lord,” Paxton tweeted, adding that closed his office, making June 24 a national holiday. 

SCOTUS just overruled Roe & Casey, ending one of the most morally & legally corrupt eras in US history. Praise the Lord.

Abortion is now illegal in Texas.

And today I’m closing my office—and making it an annual holiday—as a memorial to the 70 million lives lost bc of abortion.

— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) June 24, 2022

Additionally, Gov. Kay Ivey (R-ALA) said that “prayers have been answered” following the SCOTUS ruling. 

“Today is a giant step forward for our country as, after decades, Roe is finally overturned. Folks, after almost 50 years of standing up for unborn babies, our prayers have been answered,” Ivey said. 

Ivey also said that she will asked a judge to lift an injunction on a 2019 law banning nearly all abortions in Alabama. 

Today is a giant step forward for our country as, after decades, Roe is finally overturned. Folks, after almost 50 years of standing up for unborn babies, our prayers have been answered. #alpolitics (1/6)

— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) June 24, 2022

This is a historic day, and I could not be more proud as a governor, a Christian and a woman to see this misguided and detrimental decision overturned. (6/6)

— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) June 24, 2022

BREAKING: The Gun Bill Just Dropped. Here’s What We Know.

 

The “compromise” Senate gun bill is here, and if you’re a conservative and/or Republican who thought that November’s midterm elections were a done deal you may want to take a breath.

Many of us have been worried about Republicans yielding to the Democrats even a little on gun legislation, and for good reason. The Democrats aren’t known for being satisfied once the GOP acquiesces on any issue.  Republicans are Charlie Brown and the Dems are Lucy with the football every time something like this happens.

The Republican squishes never stop falling for it.

There are two HUGE problems with this legislation, especially for conservatives: it legitimizes both federal intervention in state matters and “red flag” laws. The latter is particularly problematic because implementation is rife with gray areas, no matter how many stipulations are in place. As I have been fond of saying, once red-flag laws are on the books, we’re on the most slippery of slippery slopes. One day people are raising legitimate concerns, the next we have people reporting the neighbor who just rubs them the wrong way.

The only people who can beat the Republicans in the fall are the Republicans, and they’ve just gotten a head start on ruining things. If the Democrats manage to save face in November you can thank John Cornyn, Thom Tillis, Roy Blunt, Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, Rob Portman, Mitt Romney, and Pat Toomey. They’re basically asking the base to stay home.

Never underestimate the ability of the Republicans to ruin a sure thing.

On the Front Lines of the Tearing of Our Social Fabric

 

PITTSBURGH — When the Hampton Battery was dedicated here in 1871 to a young Civil War soldier who lost his life protecting the Union at Chancellorsville, Virginia, the granite monument was a point of pride for residents of this neighborhood. They would stroll along the trails of the lush park filled with trees located across the street from their homes along Cedar Avenue to honor the local hero.

Today, the battery’s founder, Capt. Robert B. Hampton, who was remembered by the men who served under him as a born commander with “the chivalric nature of an honorable gentleman,” is now part of a different carnage in America as he stands watch over an open heroin market that has taken over the once-grand park.

Residents say the Civil War statue is literally surrounded by drug dealers, buyers and users around the clock. They are getting more aggressive with panhandling, trespassing and theft.

Just yards away, along the old Pennsylvania canal, a man walks down the street, carrying a brand-new patio chair stolen from the porch of a nearby home, toward the new and growing homeless camp. Last week, there were two tents or makeshift abodes. Now, there are over a dozen.

On the sidewalk, a woman dances erratically in her socks, her hoodie pulled up over her head. She then abruptly collapses in the street; within minutes, the medics arrive, and she is revived. She then continues on despite having overdosed minutes earlier.

Heroin and opioids make people desperate. Yet all that residents say they hear from elected leaders is “we can’t do this” or “we can’t do that.” No one is saying, “Let’s try this,” or “We need to come up with a solution.”

Last week, the city of Pittsburgh announced that it was delaying the opening of the Sue Murray city pool, where hundreds of children, predominantly black and often living below the poverty line, would normally be enjoying each other’s company and a cool dunk. Instead, it is shuttered. City officials say the reason is that there aren’t any lifeguards to fill the positions. Parents say it is because of the dangers their families face just walking the 50 yards from their homes at The Commons, a federally subsidized housing development, to the pool.

Law-abiding citizens in this neighborhood, black and white, say they don’t understand why their peace of mind, quality of life, safety, respect and dignity have to be sacrificed so that clever Democratic machine politicians can continue to ignore the massive drug problem nearby.

In the past two years, there has been a catastrophic rise in drug deaths in this country — a record 107,622 people in the United States died from overdoses in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; there has been an equally catastrophic rise in crime in this country as well.

We are watching in real time the unraveling of our social fabric in cities, suburbs and small towns. It is decaying right before our eyes, with governmental and political inertia making it all possible.

We have allowed the powerful Mexican drug cartels, which have infiltrated our communities directly and indirectly as they boldly traffic fentanyl and methamphetamine across the border, to take the lives of addicts and destroy communities’ cohesion. The consequences go all the way down to young children who lose hope because they cannot even go to the neighborhood pool.

We are also experiencing a catastrophic rise in murder rates after years of decline. In 2021, the U.S. suffered from the fastest murder-rate increase in the world.

The overall murder toll grew in a single year from 16,669 victims to more than 23,000 victims — a number that Foreign Policy magazine reported as the largest single-year increase in U.S. history.

The political class does nothing. It allows a massive flow of people across the border, with many crossers tied to cartels. President Joe Biden has weakened the actions of police forces across the country and attempted to address the drug crisis by emphasizing harm reduction. Criminals know that the consequences of their actions are no longer what they used to be.

The result is this systematic killing of the American spirit — not just in this neighborhood, but in cities, neighborhoods and suburbs across the country. It changes how people socialize, send their children to school and view government, institutions and politics.

This ugly reality will affect the elections this fall, probably far more than the political class understands. Why? Because they never take the time to walk down a street like Cedar Avenue and ask how it is going. More importantly, they take for granted that they will always have the voters they have always had, never realizing most people have a breaking point.

The Great Biden Recession of 2022 Is Already Here

 

Last week, I was invited to testify before a House committee hearing titled: “How the Biden American Rescue Plan Saved the Economy and Lives.” I am not making this up. Can you imagine taking a victory lap, given our current conditions?

I told the Democrats on the committee that the idea that Congress would hold a hearing like this when the economy is coming unhinged only reinforces the suspicion held by most people that the Washington swamp is totally out of touch with the lives and hardships of everyday America.

The reality of our predicament is best summarized by JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, who warned investors to “brace yourself” for what he called a fast-approaching economic “hurricane.”

To be clear, America is not yet in a recession. Still, it’s undeniable that starting around June, the economy and financial markets smashed into a brick wall. Here are the troubling indicators, all pointing in the wrong direction:

The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta just estimated that second quarter economic growth through the middle of June is a big fat zero. This is on top of the 1.5% decline in the economy in the first quarter. This means for the first five and a half months of this year, our economy has shrunk in size relative to inflation. That result isn’t technically a recession, but it’s perilously close.

Second, the wealth losses in the greater financial market sell-off of 2022 have now exceeded $10 trillion since the start of the year. This has been one of the most significant and financially catastrophic vaporizations of wealth and savings in U.S. history. It is delusional that President Joe Biden says people have record savings. No, the reverse is true. Voters’ 401(k) plans and other retirement savings have been shredded.

It is leading to what economists call a “reverse wealth effect.” Just as people spend more when their bank accounts and stock portfolios are full of cash, they tend to become comatose when those gains turn almost overnight into losses. Adjusting for inflation, the stock market is down 15%-20% depending on the index examined. Tech stocks in the Nasdaq have been clobbered the most.

Third, consumer confidence and business confidence have each fallen fast. Only about 2 in 10 voters feel the economy is headed in the right direction. Moreover, the National Federation of Independent Business’s index of small businesses found that confidence is now at its lowest level since the pandemic hit these shores and businesses were shut down.

Fourth and most damaging, consumer and producer prices have risen to their highest levels since the early 1980s. The consumer price index hit 8.6%, and the producer price index is above 10%. Price increases aren’t “transitory” and haven’t shown any signs of peaking.

Let’s not forget that Washington’s fiscal picture is a train wreck. In two and a half years, the debt has soared by another $5 trillion thanks to the blizzard spending to “fight” COVID-19 and then for multiple economic rescue plans. As the Fed raises interest rates, the carrying cost of the $23 trillion national debt gets progressively more expensive. We will be paying taxes for years to merely to pay the interest on our enormous debt.

All of the debt spending in Washington has unleashed the inflation dragon — the cruelest tax of all on families and businesses.

During the Trump presidency, before COVID-19 hit these shores, median household income rose by $6,446. This was one of the largest three-year gains in income for middle-class families in history. The combination of output gains due to deregulation, “America first” energy and the Trump pro-growth tax cuts plus an inflation rate of less than 2% facilitated these enormous gains in family incomes for all income groups and all races and a highly prosperous period in terms of incomes and wealth creation.

Under Biden, inflation has cost the average person roughly $3,000 a year in lost real income. Based on the cascading inflation levels we have experienced over the last year, it is my prediction that virtually all of the income gains delivered under former President Donald Trump could get erased due to the surge in inflation by the end of Biden’s second year in office.

In other words, under Trump, median income gains were more than $6,000. Under Biden, median income will represent anywhere from $5,000 to $6,000 lost in average wages and salaries when adjusting for the 8.6% inflation over the last year.

Simply put, people are getting poorer month after month in part due to the inflation unleashed by the American Rescue Plan.

If any of this is a “success,” then so was the maiden voyage of the Titanic.