Are we really that surprised that employees are disengaged and re-establishing work on their own terms? Rising living costs, rising retirement ages, constant technological, geopolitical, and organisational changes, and yet we’re still expecting people to bring their best. 

The old psychological contract is broken: becoming a homeowner, one or two holidays a year, ‘job security’ and a promise of a ‘comfortable life’ is a thing of the past. Yet we still expect employees to show up, give their best, and ‘be resilient’ and accepting of change. 

People everywhere are tired, broke, and uninspired, and that’s not how anyone can do their best work. But rather than seeing this as a problem, I see it as an opportunity. An opportunity to re-imagine, re-establish, and rebalance the employer/employee equation.

Why now? 

In days gone by, the old equation offered ‘extraction’ in exchange for ‘security’, but now, while the ‘extraction’ continues, there is no ‘security’ being offered in return. It’s time to rebalance the scales. What if there was a different psychological contract that could benefit both parties? What if we were to move into a model of mutual exchange instead?

Think about mutual giving for a moment. Perhaps it’s your spouse, your best friend, your favourite hobby, or playing with your sports team. You pour your energy and effort into them/the team, and they pour back into you, and as a result, you both leave the interaction/exchange feeling energised and ‘better’ as a result. It is reciprocal. What if the exchange within the workplace worked similarly?

What if, instead of exchanging or selling ‘job security’ as the prize, what if we exchanged ‘career equity’ instead? 

A new era calls for a new exchange

In today’s world, nothing is given and a ‘job for life’ is a thing of the past. Our external environments are constantly shifting and evolving. So what if, instead of measuring success by ‘length of service,’ what if we measured success by mutual growth? Mutual value? Mutual benefit? Career Equity.

No, neither party can promise that any job/experience will last forever, but what if employers could ensure that their people leave with skills, experience, and tools that will continue to support them throughout their lives and career journey? 

Because the truth is the only things that are ever truly ours to keep are the capabilities that we hold inside of ourselves. Our skills, our experiences, our ways of being. When we build our internal capacity and WHO WE ARE, that’s ultimately what creates lifelong value. The value lies within us, not around us. 

So what if career equity was the new job security? And what if that new ‘job security’ was YOU? What if we stopped outsourcing our power to anything or anyone outside of ourselves? What if instead of building a pension, we actively chose to build ourselves? Because what’s inside of us can never be taken away.

But why would employers want to change?

Okay, that’s one perspective, but what’s in it for employers and organisations? They liked it the way it was; they got what they wanted from people and, in exchange, employees got a ‘comfortable life’ in return. It was balanced. But if organisations are being honest, while they may want to go back to the ‘good old days’, if the exchange isn’t working for one party, it isn’t working for either party. 

In 2026, Gallup research suggests only 20% of employees are engaged globally* and so my question to employers is: are you really getting the best work from your people? It’s a bit like wanting an old relationship back, but your ex is only giving you crumbs; why wouldn’t you want to re-establish a new working relationship with your employees? A relationship of equal exchange? What if, as organisations, we stopped offering ‘security’, but instead we offered skill? What if we actively poured into people’s growth instead of feeling intimidated or scared by it? What if we saw their growth as a direct benefit to our business rather than a threat to it? Because just like iron sharpens iron, stronger people build stronger businesses. So while neither party can promise that it will last forever, what if we could promise that both employee and employer would leave the ‘exchange’ in a better place than they entered it?

The new exchange is reciprocity.

We all know what it feels like when an exchange is off. Think about it for a second: that extended family member that’s always asking you for favours but is nowhere to be seen when you need a hand. That ‘friend’ where you are their unpaid therapist and yet they never ask you a single question about yourself, or those times you have given your all on a work project only for your time and energy to go unnoticed and unappreciated. It doesn’t feel good, does it? The resentment leaves a bad taste in our mouths, and over time we learn to stop giving so much. I would argue that this is the predominant position we’re currently seeing across the workforce.

But what if instead of halting all giving indefinitely, the real lesson was for us to renegotiate where, what, how, and who we gave to? What if we all gave (employers and employees) in a way, and under conditions where we both leave feeling great about the exchange? What if both parties worked together to communicate, renegotiate, and re-establish the old contract?

Employers that want people’s engagement, skills, time, and energy to help grow, build, and sustain businesses in return must exchange fair remuneration, opportunities, experiences, and environments that help them build skill, capacity, resilience, versatility, relationships/network. But ultimately it’s down to both sides to ensure that we revisit the ‘contract’ regularly and make sure our ‘terms’ remain valid. Because much like in life, nothing in the workplace stays the same forever, so while we’re in it, how can we ensure we both get the most out of the experience?

Time for change

Times have changed, but the friction that is presenting itself across the workforce right now is where the growth lies. It’s how we adapt, communicate, and deal with friction that will ultimately see if we come out the other side stronger or if we attempt to avoid our growth, stamp our feet, and continue to yearn for the ‘good old days’. 

The friction we feel everywhere right now IS THE GROWTH; it’s asking us to evolve, are you ready to make the change?