The recent run of Covid Relief stimulus payments has had an interesting side effect on employment. When some employees receive these payments– often equal to several weeks’ pay– those employees decide to take… let’s call it an “unofficial vacation.”
It’s understandable. In many parts of the customer service or light manufacturing industries, a sort of “so what” attitude exists from both sides. Some employers see these workers as a dime-a-dozen. And for many of these workers, “a job is a job is a job.” There is even a common term for it among corporate MBA’s: PERL, or “Percentage of Easily Replaced Labor.” Perhaps the reason you don’t feel valued in your job… is because you aren’t. It would be hard for anyone to love a job like that.
How you react to receiving a stimulus check or tax refund is a clear indication of how you feel about your job, so how does yours stack up?
What Is Your Stimulus Check Telling You?
If you are tempted by your stimulus payment to walk away from your job, the problem isn’t with you OR the stimulus payment. The problem is your job.
Any job you can walk away from for a handful of cash, isn’t worth your time or energy.. That sort of job is a weak relationship. Your employer is trading some of their cash for your sweat, and that’s about it. Likewise, you are literally just trading a few hours of your life each day for a paycheck.
Simply put, this is a money-for-time transaction. The employer isn’t investing in your future and you are probably not investing effort beyond what is expected during your time on the clock. You both are showing how much you value each other, which unfortunately is not much.
If you can pay the same bills and cover the same expenses and NOT have to go into a job like that, why would anyone do it?
What Would It Take For You To Stay?
The only reason NOT to walk off of a job when you have cash in hand is if that job is MORE than just a paycheck to you. What would a job like that even look like?
- Would you stick around if that job provided affordable benefits that you could actually use to provide a higher quality of life for you and your family?
- What if your company provided resources to help you get from where you are to the life you want to live?
- What if you have a team around you that is invested in your well being and was there to support you?
What Would Your Stimulus Look Like, Then?
To walk away from a job like that, you would be losing more than that stimulus check was worth. Without those benefits, emergencies and medical care would be more expensive. You would actually be leaving that team that has your back in a bind and be letting those supervisors who value your contribution down. Worse, you lose the potential stepping stones that could get you to the life you truly deserve.
That job would be difficult to just walk away from.
You might not get three weeks’ off… but let’s face it: once that first week has passed and you see that stimulus money start shrinking, the necessity of finding a new job will start hanging over your head, making it harder and harder to enjoy that time off.
If you couldn’t just walk away, you’d have the extra money from the stimulus payment AND you’d still be getting your regular payday. If something unfortunate happens, not only will you have your benefits to absorb some of the expense, but you’ll have that stimulus serving as a buffer between you and those problems.
The Emergency Fund
In fact, establishing an “Emergency Fund,” is one of the first steps financial advisors recommend to help you take control of your own future. Accidents and misfortune are the main factors that reverse the progress people are trying to make toward a better life for themselves and their family.
If you don’t have money set aside for such circumstances, then when bad things happen, you end up having to decide between dealing with this new hurdle and paying your bills.
If you have a job that you can’t afford to walk away from, then extra income like stimulus payments and tax refunds make it possible to easily set aside money as an emergency fund. True, it’s not as fun as sleeping in and indulging in a little retail therapy, but it’s way more fun than having to decide between paying rent and keeping the lights on or buying medicine and fixing your car.
That could be a huge step in radically changing your life for the better.
Jobs Like That Don’t Exist
It might seem like a job is a job is a job, but if you’re still reading this, you must be hoping for something more. You should be able to take real pride in the contribution you bring to your employer and know that your employer truly appreciates everything you bring to the table.
There are actually companies out there that don’t just view you as Easily Replaced Labor. We know, because we have 13,000 hardworking people like you in 14 states actively working in jobs where they are seen as valuable teammates who deserve to build a better life for themselves. Jobs where their employers and their team all want to see them succeed.
How Onin is Different
Yes, we are a staffing company. The jobs that many of our clients offer look a lot like those other jobs. The real difference lies in the relationship we have with our Teammates. Our clients understand upfront that Onin doesn’t hire “temps,” we hire Teammates. When new Teammates join, we work to find them a steady job. After 30 days, you are eligible for real benefits designed to put you on a more solid footing in your personal and professional life. Medical benefits with $5 co pays. $5 out-of-pocket for generic prescription medicines. Free Teledoc services for you and your family so you can speak to a physician on your schedule from your home or workplace, without a co-pay. Free counseling services as well, because your mental well-being is just as important as your physical health. And Onin’s Employee Assistance Program is a collection of resources and dedicated support staff ready to help you make the most of your life.
Onin invests in our Teammates because we believe everyone deserves a job that helps them build the life they deserve. The more you succeed, the more the whole Onin Team succeeds. There’s nothing “temporary” about that.
Steady work. Real Benefits. Support to create the life you deserve. That’s what life looks like as an Onin Teammate.
Join our Team. The first step is super simple: just sign up HERE to schedule your appointment.
