The Great Healthcare Resignation: What It Means for Healthcare & Social Assistance Workers

Heard a few doors slamming lately? The low hum of a fridge in an empty office? That’s the sound of The Great Resignation, as workers walk out on their jobs in record numbers. 

Shockwaves from the Great Resignation are being felt all over, but things look — and feel — much different from the frontlines than from behind a desk.

But while quit rates are highest in the healthcare and social assistance sector (after tech), articles so far have focused on knowledge and tech workers looking for a change.

So what’s going on for our healthcare, disability and aged care, and community workers? What is driving people to quit in such large numbers?

If you’re in the sector or thinking of moving into it, these questions are especially pressing:

• What does this mean for my job security?
• What challenges are my peers facing — should I be concerned about them?
• Are there any hidden opportunities I should be aware of?

We asked 200 workers in healthcare and other high-turnover sectors. Here’s what we learned. You’ll also hear from managers in a hospital and a community service provider about what’s been going on, and what that might mean for you.

So, what’s driving half the workforce to think about leaving the field altogether?

Burnout and dissatisfaction are clear reasons for mass resignations, across a wide range of sectors. 

Feeling overwhelmed and at risk of burnout is the most common challenge experienced by healthcare workers, followed by inconsistent work hours, low team morale, and feeling disconnected.

In practice, these challenges play out differently for a marketing exec or software engineer, compared to a nurse or mental health support worker.  

During the pandemic, Rachel’s hospital stopped doing elective surgery and started taking emergency cases, sharing the burden with the public system. 

On top of that, sick leave skyrocketed — with two weeks off for staff who have been in close contact with COVID, or who got COVID themselves. Add COVID scares, and you’ve got half the staff on sick leave at any one time.

Perspective matters. A 70-hour workweek just looks different from the kitchen table of your studio apartment. Things look different again when you’re staring down six consecutive double shifts in a hospital, at 15 hours a pop. 

In such a volatile, high-stress environment, people understandably look for more stability, flexibility and better working conditions. Tom thinks that what workers really want is  “long term contracts, or even better, permanent roles”.

“At the end of the day workers want to support clients, and being able to offer clients some peace of mind around the length of support and consistency of workers is a mutually beneficial situation.”

Though pay doesn’t appear to drive resignations, it does seem like many people are looking for better wages.  Even the most committed, passionate healthcare workers aren’t immune to a better offer when the personal cost has been so high. 

Large numbers of Rachel’s staff have been drawn away by higher-paying, less-demanding  COVID roles, like testing, hotel quarantine, and vaccinations. 

It’s understandable, she says, especially because these roles don’t involve direct patient care.

As we emerge from the darkest days (touch wood), some rays of hope are shining through.

Demand for healthcare and social assistance workers looks set to keep climbing. 

Source: National Industry Insights

In times of staff shortages, management is often more eager to keep staff — which means keeping staff happy.

If you’re a healthcare worker who needs some respite, you may be able to take on some of the lucrative COVID-related roles while reducing hours in your regular workplace. 

And if you still have the energy to stay in your role, you may now have more negotiating power to improve your working conditions. Rachel says that in places like hospitals with highly structured pay, a raise may not be on the cards, but there are other things you can ask for.

This could mean asking for more training or upskilling. It could also mean a better schedule, or choosing your own days off. 

It could also be a great time to upgrade your skills. Our survey suggests that 60% of HCSA workers plan to upskill or reskill through study.

For our largest-employing sector, the last two years have been a test of endurance.

Generalisations about reasons for quitting — like a change in perspective, or an existential crisis — don’t usually apply for workers in the healthcare and social assistance industries.

So many things have changed since the pandemic hit, especially in this sector. If this is your career now (or your next career move) it could be a pivotal moment for you, and a good time to look at where you want to go next.

A huge amount of change can be daunting. But it’s also an opportunity to make your own changes, maybe one that you’ve been waiting for a long time.