Returning to work is making some individuals rethink their career paths

Employers are starting to require their employees to return to the office, as COVID levels fall and vaccine numbers rise but this is causing people to rethink their careers and whether or not they should stay at their job. Christina Neider, Dean of Social and Behavioral Science at the University of Phoenix, shared some insight into this hesitation about going back to work.

“It’s a big decision that people have been really contemplating, you know, for over a year now, and it’s really coming to a point where individuals have to decide if they really want to go back to the office or if they’ve been comfortable staying at home and if that really meets the needs of their work-life balance,” Neider said.

The University of Phoenix conducted a behavioral survey. “The survey told us a lot about what individuals are wanting from a career perspective, and many individuals have focused on wanting that mental wellness focus and to really say, I need to make sure that I’m well taken care of as well as my family. That mental health is just as important to individuals as their physical well-being. During this pandemic that has become more and more clear to individuals to say ‘no I’m really ready to make sure that what I’m doing is meaningful’,” Neider said.

Neider explains it’s important to pay attention to one’s feelings when returning to work.

“If they get to the office and they’re feeling like this just isn’t the place for them I think they’ll know pretty quickly. I think people need to give it a chance though and see if that’s just, you know, adjustment at first, or if it really is a change in their lifestyle,” Neider said.

Before making any big career decisions, “I think everyone has to kind of take a step back and just make sure that this is the right fit for their family and their, their individual situation, it’s something that you want to give some thought to for sure not to make decisions when you’re emotional or where you have maybe a very stressful day take some time to really think it through,” Neider said.