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"There has been this emerging idea that
maybe people can take micro retirements,
or take slightly divergent or different kinds
of approaches to work and life," says Kevin
Lee, an assistant professor in the organiza-
tional behaviour and human resources divi-
sion of UBC's Sauder School of Business.
Lee points to William Whyte's 1956 book
The Organization Man, which outlined mass
organization's impact on humanity and the
workforce. "It coined the archetype of the
Organization Man," explains Lee, "which
was essentially this guy that would go to
work and do the nine-to-five thing, and go
back to his family in the suburbs—and he
would do this for the next 30 to 40 years,
and then he'd retire."
What's happening now, Lee argues, is
a major shift in values: "With recent gen-
erations, especially after the pandemic,
we have been seeing a lot of people come
to new understandings of what they want
from work."
Modern corporate life is certainly
not perfect. Employees are consistently
expected to do more with smaller teams
and fewer resources—that is, if AI hasn't
already come for their jobs. And on that
front, job security seems to be nothing
more than an abstract concept. Meanwhile,
the cost of living keeps going up, but sala-
ries aren't rising to match. It's understand-
able that people are exhausted, and that
they might want something different from
their working lives.
"You're not retiring; it's not the end
of your career," says Pangilinan. "You're
going to go back into the workforce. But it's
where you can pause and determine what
you want to keep doing: shift your focus,
switch careers, or just take a break and go
back out there."
Of course, micro retirements are still
far from being universally adopted, or
even understood.
RECONNECTION
Many millennials and Gen
Zers are taking a new, more
balanced approach to work,
according to UBC prof
Kevin Lee
MICRO RETIREMENT
BETTER TOGETHER
Being micro retired means
Pangilinan can spend
more quality time with her
parents (pictured below)
C o u r t e s y o f K l a r y s s a P a n g ili n a n
