Woman Quits Being a Social Worker to Be in a Job Where “No One’s Life Depends On” Her

There seem to be a number of TikTokers who've posted about their decision to leave high-stress jobs in order to tackle jobs with lower emotional stakes. Distractify previously reported on this teacher who left education in order to pursue a full-time job working at Costco.

Another user on the application, Dez (@thelazynatural22) stated that she also ditched a high-stress job in order to enjoy a retail workplace atmosphere.

"How it feels to quit my 8-5 as a social worker and work a job where no one's life depends on me," the TikToker writes in a text overlay of their video.

The clip depicts her at her new place of employment: a retail establishment where she's been tasked with taking care of plants.

She contentedly dances in what seems to be comfortable attire in a red work vest as she holds a sprinkler, watering the foliage before her. In a caption for the video, she pens her official job description: "Just water flowers and be pretty."

It appears that Dez's experience in the field is shared by many other social workers. According to Social Work News, 67 percent of polled employees in this line of work are considering ditching it entirely.

It's a harrowing figure, considering that most social work jobs require that applicants complete a relevant four-year degree and/or a special licensing program in order to be a certified social worker.

The state of Kentucky, for instance, has the following stipulations for social work: "To become a licensed social worker in Kentucky, you will have to complete a BSW or Master of Social Work (MSW) program accredited by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE). You can pursue these degrees in Kentucky through various formats, including full-time, part-time and online."

In addition to completing requisite courses and earning a degree, social workers are expected to pass an examination to become a practicing social worker.

However, in spite of the personal investments folks make in order to become certified social workers, there are still people considering leaving their jobs for good.

There are three main reasons why employees are seeking greener employment pastures according to the outlet, social workers believe that they are "overworked, underpaid, and undervalued."

One social worker quoted in the piece penned that for them, the biggest hurdle was actually getting access to resources to help folks in need.

"It’s struggling to get services within the community, and constantly feeling like we’re letting our service users down because of it. We should not be celebrating when we get a package of care for our vulnerable. It shouldn’t be this hard!" they stated.

And it's not just in the states where social workers seem to be quitting en masse.

According to a National Library of Medicine study published in January of 2023, the turnover rate for community social workers "exceeded 20 percent" in parts of China.

Unsurprisingly, these turnovers paint a dismal picture for those who rely on these services for resources and care.

"The high rates of turnover in the social work field have severe implications for the quality, consistency, and stability of services provided to clients in need," the study stated.

These high drop-out rates have raised alarms among professionals. Columbia University's School of Social Work published in September of 2023 that there's currently an "urgent need for social workers."

The school currently projects that the demand for trained social workers is currently outpacing the number of qualified employees in the field: "As of 2018, the United States boasts an estimated 700,000 social workers. Although the field is projected to grow by 11 percent over the next decade, significantly outpacing overall job market growth, the looming social worker shortage is a matter of great concern."

However, contrary to the aforementioned resources, Columbia University states that the US Chamber of Commerce states "the social assistance sector...[has] a relatively low quit rate."

In spite of this, there's still a dearth of folks working in these fields.

"By 2025, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) predicts a shortfall of more than ten thousand full-time employees in various social work-related professions, including counselors, psychologists, and marriage and family therapists."