80% of workers who quit during ‘Great Resignation’ have regrets

The ‘Great Resignation’ has turned into the Great Regret. 

Some people are having regrets over the Great Resignation. 

2022 was a record year for quitting. A new survey shows that the majority of professionals who quit their jobs last year now are wishing there could be a do-over. 

A whopping 4.1 million workers left their jobs in December alone, bringing the grand total for 2022 to more than 50 million, CNBC reported.

2021 was also a big year for quitting. About 47 million quit the year before, citing higher pay and better working conditions as incentives for their exit. 

A new survey by Paychex found that 8 out of 10 professionals regret quitting. 

Paychex surveyed 825 employees who quit during the “great resignation” and 354 employers to analyze the impact of the quitting spree and gauge employees’ job satisfaction.

They found that mental health, work-life balance, workplace relationships and the chance to get rehired all suffered as a result.

There is a generation struggling the most, and it is Gen Z. Gen Z workers are reminiscing about their jobs, with 89 percent saying they regret quitting and that their mental health is on the decline as a result. 

Gen X missed the work-life balance from their previous employer. 

Meanwhile, most Millennials have no regrets. 

Some have tried to go back to their old jobs, with 68 percent of employees saying they have attempted to get their jobs back. But only 27 percent of employers have rehired employees that left during this period. 

Paychex said in its findings that The Great Resignation not only changed the workplace but also changed the minds of those seeking better work opportunities. 

“The ‘great resignation’ has led to much regret by employees seeking new opportunities. Among those regrets, employees were most likely to miss their co-workers,” Jeff Williams, vice president of enterprise and HR solutions at Paychex, said. 

“These friendships create a sense of community among employees, creating a positive company culture — another thing employees missed about their previous job.”