Based on the experiences of workers, this book analyzes the reasons behind the unexpected growth of the ‘great resignation’ and demonstrates how resigning today not only prevents exploitative conditions from deteriorating our health and relationships, but also allows us to reclaim time for ourselves and our lives.

We have always been told that work defines us, and serves as the foundation of our dignity as human beings. So why, all over the world, are more and more people quitting their jobs? In recent years, we have had several opportunities to ask ourselves whether the life we are living is the one we truly desire. For many, the answer has been no. This is due to a growing unwillingness to submit to the toxic and vexatious rules imposed by many work contexts. Even prior to the pandemic, a survey conducted in 140 countries revealed that 80 percent of the employed population disliked their jobs. And so, after months of reflection on quality of life, many exhausted, exasperated, and financially strained individuals have organized to collectively resign from their jobs in various sectors such as catering, healthcare, retail, culture, and others, shaping what has been termed the ‘great resignation’ phenomenon.

Francesca Coin offers insights from extensive fieldwork, including surveys and in-depth interviews with 200 workers who have resigned across various sectors such as healthcare, retail, catering, and publishing. Featuring topics such as burnout, gender and essential workers, Coin examines the phenomenon from a global viewpoint, featuring case studies from Italy, China and the US.