Photo: Jen Theodore on Unsplash
She leaves the moment she gets a new job.
By NyRee Ausler
Last updated on Feb 25, 2024
Over the past few years, work culture has shifted. Workers are starting to identify toxicity at their jobs more readily and are increasingly willing to jump ship in favor of a company that makes them feel valued and appreciated.
A woman on TikTok who goes by the moniker, ‘SquishSquashh’ posted a video sharing her excitement about starting a new job and detailing why she has no qualms about job hopping.
She 'job hops' at the first sign of disrespect — and her tactic has proven successful.
She started by announcing that she had just left orientation for a new job she was starting and was now on her way to give a week's notice to her current employer.
According to the woman, her work was only scheduled a week in advance, so she was only required to give them that much notice if she intended on quitting the job.
On her journey, she called her friend to share her good news about her career move and was met with an unexpected reaction.
She told viewers that instead of congratulating her on the new position, the friend said, “I have never met someone who changes jobs as much as you.” The reaction prompted the woman to head over to TikTok and share her views on work.
The 'job hopper' asserted that disrespect in the workplace was an absolute dealbreaker for her.
"At the first sign of disrespect, I'm looking for a different job," she told viewers before adding, “The moment that I find a job that pays equally or more, I’m out”.
She justified her habit of leaving employers by saying that as a tax-paying adult, she refuses to be disrespected or yelled at in the workplace by another adult before proudly proclaiming, “I’m a job hopper.”
The comments were a mix of support for the wayward worker and accusations that perhaps she was the problem and not the jobs she had left.
One woman commented, “People don't seem to understand that respect goes along way. I'm the same way. how dare the younger gen demand respect”, applauding the young woman for standing on principle.
Another person said, Being able to speak your boundaries and what you will and won’t accept is a part of working with other people. Sooner or later roots need to be made.”
But on the flip side, others questioned her culpability in the untenable work experiences she’d had.
As people have become more educated and comfortable about what makes a positive work environment, an unwillingness to settle for a mediocre job has emerged among workers.
With millennials being the largest generation in the workforce, followed closely by Gen Z, the two demographics are setting the standards for the way employees expect to be treated on the job.
Millennials are not the same employees that their grandparents were. They want fair pay, purpose, flexibility, equality, and a safe space where they feel they are treated with respect and dignity. Gen Z is even more passionate about finding work that aligns with their values.
With most of the workforce having less loyalty to their jobs and able to move on and make more money, turnover costs employers over $30 billion annually. No matter your opinion on job hopping, it is clear that organizations need to find new ways of attracting and keeping talent.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.