Sign grim new work trend is already impacting workplaces

A new trend has started to emerge in workplaces across the world, including Australia, and it is one that has experts seriously concerned.Most people have likely heard of the term “job hopping”, which is the practice of frequently changing jobs, usually to gain experience, increase salary and accelerate career growth.Well, this new trend – dubbed “job hugging” – is basically the opposite of that.Job hugging is where an employee stays in a role, even if they are unhappy or find the job unfulfilling.Having people remain in their jobs may not seem so bad on the surface, but experts have warned this trend could have more serious consequences than many may realize.The phenomenon is being fuelled from a place of fear around job market instability, with middle management expert and BoldHR founder Rebecca Houghton saying leaders “should be worried”.“Workers aren’t ‘hugging’ their jobs because they love them.They’re ‘hugging’ them because, frankly, the alternative looks worse,” she told news.com.au.“This is risk aversion, pure and simple-driven by economic anxiety and a global hangover from pandemics, restructures, fears that AI will take over, and everything in between.”Houghton said “people are tired,” with recent research from BoldHR showing one in three managers surveyed are burnt out.The HR expert explained that the combination of burnout and a risky economic environment can lead to people leaning into familiarity, as it feels safe.She warned that leaders need to seriously think about what happens next, as job huggers “aren’t loyal”.“The minute the market picks up, they’ll be the first out the door.

Quietly.Quickly.

Smart leaders won’t wait for the exodus,” she said.“They’ll act now, by building workplaces people choose to stay in, not ones they simply haven’t escaped from yet.”There are already signs this trend has started to take hold locally.Australia’s job mobility rate has fallen for two years in a r...