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At the end of our team meeting last week, our boss announced that one of our coworkers had some news to share. They were resigning and moving to California to become a life coach. Because apparently, Los Angeles needs more life coaches?

A few weeks before that, another employee nonchalantly told us they were leaving for a $40,000 pay increase — to essentially do their same job.

Shortly after that, management started to subtly send out emails about team bonding events and free lunches coming our way.

But the reality is that we are just on the verge of the “great resignation.”

And perhaps it is due to “late capitalism” or just a universal feeling of exhaustion — but for the first time, in a long time, employees are starting to gain the upper hand and are seizing this moment.

The American Dream Comes with a Huge Asterisk

Growing up, I remember learning a lot about the “American Dream.” That if you work hard you can achieve anything — that the “streets are paved with gold.” But the reality is that a lot of these mantras come with hidden terms and conditions if you look closer at the fine print.

And there comes a point when the bare minimum just isn’t cutting it anymore.

For example, to sound more profound, I should say “I was reading this news article…” However, I was actually just watching this TikTok and the creator (@lolellakoundji) quipped that “I have like one more year of capitalism left in me.”

She continued to joke that she wasn’t meant to work but applauded those who choose that lifestyle.

And while clearly meant to be satirical — she brought up some excellent points.

The benefits of “working hard” just aren’t adding up.

Just take the subreddit, Late Stage Capitalism, which is filled with memes about billionaires going to space, and comical budget breakdowns from the “experts.” Like, the one that suggested you could find an apartment for $800, while not even including a slice for student loans.

Working hard is fun and all but if the rewards aren’t there to match it, people are going to look elsewhere.

Value is More Expensive than Price

Millennials get hated on a lot for our “cheugy” obsession with avocado toast and being too sensitive. However, we prioritize different things than our boomer parents. We would rather collect experiences than 401ks. And honestly, this pandemic has just heightened that sense.

Watching Reddit take over the stock market and billionaires convincing us to buy Dogecoin to increase their shares of a currency that started as a joke, isn’t helping either.

Our employers can also no longer motivate us with the typical travel perks, offices with windows, or mandatory happy hours anymore. And it is starting to show.

We are not seeking out leadership positions. We don’t want to run for public office. We can barely keep a plant alive.

Instead, we want to focus on experiencing life and making up for the time we lost over the last few years. Many millennials are nearing 30 — and perhaps it’s the existential crisis kicking in, but it is pushing us to reevaluate what we value and do for the next 30.

To be perfectly honest, I don’t necessarily know if what we are experiencing is late-stage capitalism or just a trendy phrase to use. My knowledge of econ stops short at if Suzy is selling apples but people are only buying oranges, then Suzy has a problem.

However, what I do know, is that how we are defining work is changing.

We are no longer tied to our office cubicles. Forced to get into the office the earliest and leave the latest, just to get a promotion.

And we are tired of empty promises saying, “if you just work hard enough…”