New York Employees Reflect on The Great Resignation

Raliat Akesode, a 24-year-old from the Bronx, began working as a retail associate at Marshalls two years ago, but recently quit, tired of the mental and physical strains on her health. “Retail is already a busy job and requires a lot of standing, and the pandemic made the job more difficult to endure,” said Akesode. “As a human being, too much stress to the body isn’t good and causes a bad impact on the body and its ability to perform tasks.” 

This past year has been hectic, to say the least, for employees like Akesode, especially in food service and retail. What started off as the praise of “essential workers” now is the bashing of companies who have little to offer their overworked employees beyond the paycheck. Employers are now in a crunch to find employees with new incentives. 

As the pandemic drags on, employees have been quitting their jobs at record levels, leaving companies desperate for more workers. A record-high 4.4 million people or three percent of US workers, quit their jobs in September, according to the Labor Department’s latest report released on November 12. Earlier reports showed that retailers had 1.2 million unfilled jobs, while restaurants and hotels had 1.5 million. 

In order to combat this, companies have been raising their wages to retain employees. Walmart raised their hourly pay by one dollar for over half a million employees. As of September, Amazon started their pay at $15, but with an urgency to get more people to work they offered new employees $22.50 an hour in some locations, with a signing bonus of $3000. Starbucks is even facing a push to form its first union at corporate stores in the US. Starbucks employees in Buffalo, NY established a petition for more staff, training, and pay. Last week, Starbucks made an announcement stating the company is working on a complete redesign of its training guide, scheduling app, and other shift changes. 

Ashley Cabrera, a sales associate at Zara, has been considering quitting her job, exhausted by having to balance being both a full-time student and employee. “It’s becoming a lot for me,” she said. “Sometimes I feel like there’s no point in working because I am so stressed for such little pay.” 

She feels motivated by what is increasingly referred to as the “Great Resignation.” “It inspires me to see all the people who quit and went into full entrepreneurship,” said Cabrera. “It makes me feel like I’m wasting time when I could be doing something I’m actually passionate about.” 

For some people, quitting isn’t an option. Natu Makombo, a 25-year-old from Roosevelt Island, also works at the clothing store Zara as a sales associate, and the pandemic hasn’t been easy for her. “It’s been a tumultuous experience,” she said. “I understand that people are calling this The Great Resignation and so many people are rethinking their purpose. I find it admirable. Honestly, I would too if I didn’t have expenses that need to be dealt with.” 

New Yorkers are looking for actual change within companies. Akesode stands firm in her decision to quit her job until companies learn to prioritize employees’ needs. “I would personally like to see longer break times to disengage and rest from strenuous workdays,” she explained. “I would also like to see frequent check-ins with each employee to see if there’s anything the company can do on an individual basis to comfort and support their employees. Burnout is the last thing any company would want from their employees.”