Long-term staff leaving, red flags?

New to Tattle Life? Click "Order Thread by Most Liked Posts" button below to get an idea of what the site is about:
Just a quick one and not only specific to my current workplace. I’m not the best at picking up on quiet discontent in an office setting and now covid has made it nigh-on impossible to get a jist of the general mood. A fair few staff members have left my current company and one in particular I had no idea they’d contemplate seeking a new job. On the face of things, we’re a busy dept and wouldn’t be affected by a restructuring. People obviously keep shtum about why they’ve left but I wondered if anyone had any typical things to look out for? I’ve worked in places before where it’s only been made obvious when someone’s at their wits end and spills the beans.
 
My workplace has had a couple of ‘lifers’ move on recently. For both of them at least some of it was covid/lockdown making them reevaluate their lives. I also had no idea they were looking to move on until it was almost time to gk
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3
As above comment I think lockdown has made people realise they need/want a change!
I’ve been with my company 10 year and currently looking for something else, something totally different!
I’ve also found over the years people who have left so quietly were sometimes pushed out!
 
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: 5
I’d already left (to travel) but there was a max exodus of long-termers from a previous workplace twice in a short space of time.
A rival company opened and poached a load of staff. Made their whole company out of my previous company’s staff by offering them loads of money.

Discussing what you were paid within my company was a sackable offence but once they left, people discussed it and found major differences, this got back to the remaining staff. When they heard how much the rival company was paying and the discrepancies the ex staff had uncovered (up to £5k on basic the same role) many realised they were being mugged off and/or could get more elsewhere and left.

My old company soon reevaluated how much they paid.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1
I think you sometimes find that when one goes it starts a domino effect.
I left my old job last year after 11 years, I was definitely considered a lifer there. I was sick of hearing people moan and do nothing about hating their job. I heard myself do it twice and knew I had to get out before I turned into one of them and my whole career had passed me by.
You can only go off your experience so if you’re personally not having a bad time then that’s a good thing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1
I started a new job last week. I'd been at my old job a long time, not a lifer as such but certainly part of the furniture.
I've been working from home since march and I knew I couldn't go back to doing an hour and a bit communting if/when the time comes that we resume to normal way of life again. Just the thought of it brought me out in hives.
I'm wfh with my new job but should normal life resume the office is around a forty minute walk from home which suits me better.
One of the secretaries I worked with had been there for 16 years but left i june because she can now work as a virtual secretary in the comfort of her own home. Her commute was 90 minutes.

It might just be that its made people reassess the commuting aspect of work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3
I think the lockdowns have given people time to think about what they want in life, their jobs etc and took the plunge to make changes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2
I think it’s definitely a lot to do with Covid and re-evaluating what’s important. Does your office have regular comma with staff, what’s the long term plan post Covid, will everyone be expected back into the office full time, or do they have the option to WFH for part of it, saving both time and commuting costs? Maybe do some sort of anonymous staff survey? Our company do them every month to see how we’re feeling and have realised no one wants to go back to an office full time. Just being present doesn’t mean better work (depending on what you do of course). People don’t realise how tired they are until a pandemic hits, me included. I won’t be going into an office 5 days a week x
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1
I think something triggers it like a change in procedures or a change in management. Crap management really has an impact on staff.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3
Thanks everyone 😊 and congrats on those who’ve made a positive move!

Maybe it is just covid-related this time? Although they’ve moved on to do the same/similar roles in other companies. I guess I’ll just have to keep my wits about me and keep my ear to the ground 😀 We’re all WFH for the foreseeable. There are frequent staff surveys - they love those external awards for staff morale so are always checking in and running workshops. The exec made it clear last year he prefers us in the office and we own it so no money to be saved, but it will be at reduced numbers when the govt says and management will have some say in who can work from home.
 
In my experience, I'd say signs to look out for would be people becoming complacent/less motivated to do their work to a high standard, a generally negative attitude towards work, people showing up late, calling in sick, having little involvement with other colleagues or the team as a whole. Some are still relevant to working from home and others not so much.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1
In my experience, I'd say signs to look out for would be people becoming complacent/less motivated to do their work to a high standard, a generally negative attitude towards work, people showing up late, calling in sick, having little involvement with other colleagues or the team as a whole. Some are still relevant to working from home and others not so much.
That makes sense! In hindsight that was happening with my latest colleague.

Got to navigate working with someone who seems keen to get ahead in a really “laid back” kind of way now. I hate when you’re working somewhere and someone goes then the person who’s been there a bit longer thinks they can push a new hierarchy 🙃