In the wake of sweeping changes to the global labour market during the COVID-19 pandemic, the “great resignation” is underway: more than 47 million workers in the US voluntarily left jobs in 2021 (Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis, 2022), as did one in every five Australians (National Australia Bank, 2022). A survey of employees in Australia, Canada, Singapore, the UK and the US showed that 40% were “somewhat likely” to leave their job in the next three to six months; that figure was 36% in the healthcare sector (McKinsey, 2021).

The British Medical Association cites demand and burnout exacerbated by the pandemic as the reason a significant number of UK doctors are considering leaving the profession, reducing their hours or taking early retirement (BMA, 2021), with as many as 53% of us now prioritising our health and wellbeing over work (Microsoft, 2022).