This is why hustle culture is dead and “lazy” jobs are in
As far back as 2014, the government set out its stall and declared its ambitions to make the UK the “global capital of fintech”. Now, despite a recent drop in investment, the UK is indeed a global leader in the fintech space.
Access to a pool of talent, plus strong underlying financial expertise, combined with a good regulatory environment are all factors in the success of the sector.
But like any industry, there are issues. Firstly, in terms of gender equality: under 30 per cent of the fintech workforce is made up of women, and they hold only 17 per cent of senior fintech roles.
Secondly, workers are expressing their discontent. EY’s 2022 Work Reimagined Survey found that 48 per cent of those working in finance and accounting are likely “job jumpers” in the next year.
There are many reasons for this, with a Tech Inclusion & Diversity Report from BIMA finding that the tech workforce was as stressed as those working in the NHS, and five times more depressed than the UK average.
Last year, digital accountancy platform LemonEdge found that 31 per cent of financial services and banking professionals are planning to leave the industry due to high pressure. Their reasons include a heavy workload (42 per cent), long working hours (32 per cent), and increasing demands from management (25 per cent).
Stress, overwork and burnout are by no means limited to fintech. Workers across the board are exhausted, rejecting the relentless “always on” toxicity of a previously championed hustle culture. Many are quiet quitting as a result; doing no more than they need to to get by and collect their paycheque.
Given the environment, it is no surprise that a counter-trend has emerged in the form of content creator Gabrielle Judge’s “lazy girl job”. In a TikTok video, Judge explained the concept as, “A lazy girl job is basically something you can just quiet quit […] there’s lots of jobs out there where you could make, like, 60 to 80 K and not do that much work and be remote.”
The #lazygirljob TikTok hashtag has more than 22 million views, and once you delve into it, it’s clear that it is about far more than a desire to slack off.
The lazy girl job term is not to be taken literally. Rather, it is about shining a light on how hustle culture and oppressive workplace tactics have left generations of workers exhausted, stressed and always on.
In the face of a few tough years at work, employees want change. They want true flexibility, and sustainable salaries––more important now than ever in an era of rising inflation and prices. Judge herself explained that she wants to raise awareness about “toxic workplace expectations”.
In the UK, around four million people have changed careers and two million have left their jobs in the past year because of a lack of flexibility at work, a study from CIPD has found.
That trend will only increase as workers vote with their feet, and while there are no lazy jobs in fintech, there are companies that may offer you a better fit. Discover three jobs that are currently hiring on the Peer2Peer Finance News Job Board. They may be the match you’re looking for.
Finance Business Partner, Northrop Grumman, London
The Finance Business Partner at Northrop Grumman supports contracts of work and their customers financially in a rapidly changing, growing and fast paced environment. The role is accountable for the accuracy and transparency of all financial aspects within a portfolio area, working alongside the programme function, and supporting several contracts simultaneously.
Operations Finance Analyst, Hologic, Manchester
Hologic puts finance at the heart of decision making to protect and drive value for money and is on the lookout for an Operations Finance Analyst. In this role, you will be responsible for the inventory and cost accounting for the EMEA entities, ensuring their accuracy and reliability. You should have demonstrable experience in management accounting and be part qualified/qualified ACCA/CIMA/ACA, to apply.
Director, Software Engineering – RippleX, Ripple, London
Ripple is seeking a results oriented, hands-on Director/Senior Software Engineering Manager to help the community of developers build the next generation of blockchain-related applications on its open-source XRP Ledger. You will deliver outstanding results for customers, create a shared vision and build and maintain strong partnerships with the product management, ops, security, research, customer success and business development teams.
Accelerate your fintech career thanks to the Peer2Peer Finance News Job Board
Article written by Kirstie McDermott at Amply