By Rachelle Chapman
If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
I hesitate to tell you the punchline of my son’s favorite riddle—fine, it’s “pilgrims.” But consider that April 2021 brought a historic shower of its own: The Great Resignation, or as it’s sometimes known, The Big Quit. In a single month, 4 million American workers threw their Dilbert calendars and baby-montage mouse pads into a cardboard box and whistled out the door.
We had our reasons. For some, the pandemic lockdowns—in all their family Monopoly night, taco salad glory—spurred a restacking of priorities. Others cited chronic overwork. Even more woke up from 2020’s blur of Zoom calls with this revelation: “If I can work from anywhere, maybe I can work for anyone.”
Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trend Index survey suggests this American sentiment is reflected in the global workforce: 73 percent of employees want flexible remote work options to become permanent. Four in 10 workers are eyeing the exit door this year, with roughly half citing the ability to work remotely as the main factor.
Employers are getting the picture. Two-thirds of companies are considering moving toward a more hybrid-friendly office. This is a sea change. And military spouses are likely to emerge as some of the biggest winners in the hybrid work era.
About. Dang. Time.
Prior to the pandemic, the Department of Defense estimated military spouses faced a staggering unemployment rate of 24 percent. Got a job? Statistically, you get paid 26% less than the average. Worse, underemployment—working a job below your skill set—has been estimated as high as 40 percent in recent years.
Why? Certainly not a talent deficit—military spouses boast higher education levels and greater adaptability than their civilian peers. The problem is, two-thirds have been forced to quit a job—some more than three times—to make a military PCS move happen. In the olden (pre-2020) days, just one in 10 employers were willing to make accommodations to keep the spouse on board after the move. (I’m a lucky exception.)
As a military spouse, the Great Resignation gives you something you’ve long deserved—leverage, in two ways. First, you can take advantage of a global inflection point offering more open doors and higher salaries. Second—and most crucially— you will encounter employers more willing to accommodate your future ZIP codes and bosses who are more focused on retaining your skill sets than counting your hours darkening a cubicle.
As an advocate for military spouse employment for over 16 years, let me tell you—this is more empowering and encouraging than a hundred politicians giving a thousand speeches. I am not saying every military spouse should work. We all have our own paths, but for those of you ready to make the leap, now’s the time. This is real. And it’s coming to a paycheck near you.
