Prince Harry wants you to do what?
He thinks something big needs to change -- do you agree or are his comments making you see
red?
All across America, the so-called Great Resignation is taking place.
During August 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 4.3 million Americans
quit their jobs — that's a stunning 2.9% of the country's workforce.
More than anything, this recent record-breaking exodus reveals the burnout that employees
have been feeling since the COVID-19 pandemic began, which created even more instability
in the workforce and beyond.
Dr. Laura Hamil, chief science advisor at Limeade, told Forbes:
"The mass exodus workplaces have experienced over the past several months is unprecedented
— burnout levels reached an all-time high.
There was a societal breakdown when it came to the ecosystem of work, home, and well-being.
People reached their limits."
Though they were far ahead of the curve, perhaps the most famous resignation of the past few
years has been that of Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle.
"And I know I haven't always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was
no other option."
Since leaving their royal duties behind in 2020, the pair have moved from Great Britain
to California, where they live in a mansion worth nearly $15 million.
After allegedly being cut off financially from the royal purse, however, Prince Harry
has had to find work of his own.
So, he and Meghan signed lucrative deals worth tens of millions of dollars with both Netflix
and Spotify.
Recently, however, Prince Harry's comments about the Great Resignation have had people
fuming.
Back in March 2021, it was announced that Prince Harry had been named the chief impact
officer at BetterUp, a mental health startup that sells coaching plans to companies for
their employees.
These coaching plans discuss topics ranging from mental fitness to nutrition to parenting.
During a recent interview with Fast Company, Prince Harry suggested that people working
in unfulfilling jobs should simply quit.
He said:
"[A] lot of the job resignations you mention aren't all bad.
In fact, it is a sign that with self-awareness comes the need for change.
Many people around the world have been stuck in jobs that didn't bring them joy, and now
they're putting their mental health and happiness first.
This is something to be celebrated."
As you might imagine, the royal received quite a bit of negative feedback from the interview.
As one person tweeted:
"The person who lives in an £11 million mansion, has millions in the bank, and no proper job,
is advising us to: 'quit our jobs if they don't bring us joy' and says 'leaving work
is something to be celebrated.'
How would you know anything about work Prince Harry?!"
Peter Francis, director at engineering consultancy firm MAT Limited, told the Daily Mail:
"I think Prince Harry has a point: being aware that the job you're doing may be causing you
harm is a major step forward.
However, not everyone has the luxury to just quit and then look around for something — most
have to keep earning before they take the plunge."
In contrast, Harry's brother, Prince William, recently opened up about a difficult job he
had when he was younger, discussing how it was challenging for his mental health — but
insisting that he stuck with it anyway.
During a special episode of Apple's Time to Walk series that premiered on December 6th,
2021, William spoke about working with the East Anglian Air Ambulance between 2015 and
2017.
He said:
"The moment I started the helicopter training, I realized that it was better than anything.
It was one of those things that I just instantly took to and thought, 'This is really cool.
I really enjoy it.'"
Despite loving the job, William admitted during the series that "seeing patients and families
ripped apart on almost a daily basis" was traumatic and continues to impact his mental
health.
One incident in particular, involving a young boy who was hit by a car, has stuck with him.
William remembered:
"There are some things in life you don't really want to see.
All we cared about at the time was fixing this boy.
And the parents are very hysterical, as you can imagine, screaming, wailing, not knowing
what to do, [and] in real agony themselves.
And that lives with you."
Of course, these are two very different perspectives on the world of work — but it's honestly
hard to argue with either.
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