Why Millions of Americans Have Quit Their Jobs • Resource Conser

COMMUNITY NEWS Why Millions of Americans Have Quit Their Jobs

In what many are calling “The Great Resignation,” millions of U.S. workers across multiple industries have quit their jobs since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent survey found that 15% of the U.S. workforce are still planning to quit their jobs before 2022. Stress and burnout are major factors, which have hit the nursing and teaching professions particularly hard.

On the flip side, for employees eager to find new jobs, the pandemic has also offered an opportunity to reevaluate their work and life priorities. Forty-one percent of workers say finding a job they’re more passionate about is a major factor in their decision to look elsewhere.

Reporting on the issue has also revealed that many Americans are fed up with stressful working conditions, long hours and low pay. Simply put, Americans are burnt out, and ready for a change. Teachers and healthcare workers, particularly nurses, are especially overwhelmed by the demands of working during the pandemic, and are experiencing burnout at an unprecedented rate.

For years, teaching and nursing have ranked as the most stressful occupations, according to Gallup polling.

The pandemic seems to have made things worse. More than 3 in 4 teachers reported experiencing frequent workrelated stress in the last year, compared to just 40% of adults in other professions. Meanwhile, over half of healthcare workers today report feeling burnout.

The full implications of this year’s Great Resignation are far from clear. But while many might be pessimistic, some industry leaders are viewing the Great Resignation as an opportunity - both for American workers and for the businesses who employ them.

Dhaval Patel, senior vice president at Interfirst (https://joininterfirst.com/), a Chicago-based mortgage company, has designed a part of his hiring strategy around reaching burnt out teachers and nurses in need of a change.

“A lot of healthcare workers and teachers are facing a difficult situation: stay in a system that’s poorly funded, understaffed and emotionally grueling, or switch careers after investing years in their education,” says Patel. “But many are switching nonetheless.”

The main reason they’re switching careers? Other jobs provide a less stressful and more professional environment, and can even better value the skills teachers and nurses have acquired in their careers.

“Nurses and teachers are highly educated; they have tons of soft, transferable skills that can be used anywhere,” says Patel. “There’s no reason for people with these skills to feel underpaid and undervalued, and other employers recognize the value they’re getting.”

In this ever-changing COVID environment, many find that the rewards of reskilling — or even just transferring existing skills — can be enormous. A lot of jobs, particularly teaching and nursing jobs, pay relatively low wages. That can contribute to stress, and negatively impact job satisfaction.

With more and more American workers quitting their jobs and switching industries, now is an opportune time for many to make a change. “Burnout isn’t inevitable,” says Patel. “In the COVID environment, no one should feel stuck — almost anything is possible.” n •••

Editor’s Note: Local workers, have you changed careers or started your own business? Local employers, are you seeing turnover? Tell your story to Times editor Jondi Gumz. Email her at info@cyber-times.com or call 831-688-7549 x17. ©Pinkston News Service • pinkstonnews.

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Resource Conservation District Offers $775,000 To Address Erosion

The Resource Conservation District is accepting applications from residents in the Santa Cruz Mountains in need of technical and/or financial assistance to address erosion and drainage issues on private properties and roads.

More than $775,000 is available in direct assistance for landowners to help cover that costs of designing, permitting, and constructing projects. A third of the money is reserved for San Lorenzo Valley residents, who were hard hit by the CZU lightning fire a year ago.

With a focus on reducing sediment runoff to local waterways, the agency is providing one-on-one support to road associations, County Service Areas, and individual homeowners to identify erosion and drainage problems, recommend solutions, develop plans, secure permits if needed, and provide cost-share for constructing improvements.

The types of private road projects that can receive funding are installing or upgrading culverts, improving road drainage, and applying rock to unpaved roads or culvert outlets to minimize erosion. Upgrades around homes might include landscaping with drainage swales, infiltrating runoff onsite, connecting large rain catchment systems to existing roof drains, or streambank and hillside protection measures. A one-hour online informational meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19. Topics will include who is qualified, how to apply, how projects are chosen, funding obligations and maintenance commitments for grant recipients. Attendance is capped at 50; three have registered to date. To register, go to http://www.rcdsantacruz. org/get-involved/register-for-an-event

Applications for road projects for the 2022 construction season are due by Dec. 1. Other drainage projects requests are accepted

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Having defensible space does not mean you need a ring of bare dirt surrounding your property; with proper planning, you can have a fire safe home and a beautiful landscape. The general concept is that trees should be kept farthest from the house, shrubs can be closer, and lawns and bedding plants can be the closest. If your landscaping has a different configuration than this, you can improve defensibility by keeping larger trees limbed up and shrubs free of dead, dry material.

Funding for this program was made possible by a grant from the Cooperative Fire Program of the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Pacific Southwest Region, through California Fire Safe Council. n year-round. All submissions will receive a confidential site visit to discuss project options and determine eligibility. To request an application, email agruys@rcdsantacruz.org

Or call 831-464-2950 x22.

The RCD will also be offering educational opportunities both online and in person through workshops, technical trainings, and tours with a focus on providing landowners with the tools and knowledge to successfully care for their rural roads, properties, and the natural environment. Check rcdsantacruz.org for upcoming events or sign up to be notified when new events are added.

The RCD has received grant funding for these services through the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the State Water Resources Control Board under the Federal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program authorized by the Clean Water Act and the California Department of Water Resources through an agreement with the Regional Water Management Foundation. n