'Chaotic Working,' 'Shift Shock,' 'Bare Minimum Mondays' top trends for Florida workers

Last year the hottest workplace trend, if you can call it that, was "quiet quitting.” Employees burned out from the pandemic simply stopped working excessive hours or taking on tasks beyond their job requirements.

This year, after the "Hot Labor Summer" hit hard, several large industries went on strike and many employers began demanding a return to the office, a whole range of new terms came into play, like "Rage Applying," "Chaotic Working," and "Bare Minimum Mondays." USDictionary.com surveyed 1,000 employees to find out which ones meant 2023 for Florida workers.

Here's what was happening in the offices, restaurants and other workplaces in the Sunshine State.

'Chaotic Working' voted most apt phrase for 2023 in Florida

"It is like a never-ending game of corporate whack-a-mole," said U.S. Dictionary spokesperson Lauren Grey in a release. "As soon as you complete one task, three more pop up. Meetings spill into your lunch, 'urgent' tasks develop overnight, and the printer jams only when you're already late for a presentation."

"Chaotic working" isn't a new term, USDictionary.com says, but it's evolved in 2023 to include employees fighting back against a chaotic or negative work environment by helping customers or clients beyond what their employers want, at the employer's expense. Think Bob Parr quietly whispering help to the sweet old insurance client despite the wishes of his horrible boss in the Disney-Pixar movie "The Incredibles."

"It may entail breaking rules but is done without fear of repercussions," Grey said.

'Shift Shock' came in second for most appropriate phrase from Florida workers

You've got a new job, you're ready for your new responsibilities, and then you find out you're doing someone else's work as well, or getting your boss' dry cleaning.

It's "the dream job that seemed like a perfect match in the interview," according to USDictionary.com founder Shaun Connell, "but now feels like a blind date gone wrong, where the job’s charming profile picture doesn’t quite match its in-person reality.”

It's also a problem for workers who got used to being remote and are now being told to come back to the office. Especially for those hired during the pandemic who don't actually live nearby.

Return to office mandates but many employees resist

Coming in third: 'Bare Minimum Mondays'

Kind of self-explanatory, really, and the third-most popular workplace trend in Florida in 2023, according to U.S. Dictionary. It's the day you use to transition from the weekend into the work mindset, when everyone just mutually agrees to "coast through the day like on autopilot," Grey said. "Bare Minimum Mondays" is where "quiet quitting" runs smack into, well, Monday. Meetings become emails, emails get one-word responses, and reports become bullet points.

'Career Cushioning' is a thing for Florida workers

Fourth on the list was "career cushioning," when workers spend some time getting ready in case they have to jump ship, or fear they might get jettisoned. Skills are practiced, contacts are gathered and side gigs are side-eyed.

“On ‘Career Cushioning’ days," Connell says, "LinkedIn profiles are polished, and networking is no longer just schmoozing — it's at another level.” Coffee breaks are spent on online courses and lunch hours are spent checking in with mentors or friends at other, potentially hiring companies.

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'Boomerang Employee' came back hard in Florida

The "boomerang employee," voted in fifth place by Florida workers, is the former staffer who triumphantly left for better, brighter places only to ultimately come back to their old job with new skills and maybe even a raise. "It's the workplace reunion tour – and everyone loves a comeback story," Grey said.

Boomerang employees have been booming this year as workers who joined the Great Resignation during the pandemic, either taking the opportunity to try new paths or just retire, are coming back to a place they know where everything is.

“It’s always easier to go back to somewhere where you were comfortable,” said Michelle Reisdorf, a senior regional director for recruiting firm Robert Half. “It’s such an easy transition back into the workplace.”

Basck to the old grind: As millions of jobs go unfilled, employers look to familiar faces in 'boomerang employees'

'Quiet Cutting' moving employees around in corporate 'musical chairs'

The sixth most-apt phrase chosen by Florida voters is "quiet cutting," and it's a depressing one.

“It’s the corporate version of musical chairs," Connell said, "except when the music stops, you don't lose your seat, you just get a new one, whether you like it or not. The result? Your old job is gone, but you have been given a new one.”

Union strikes aside, some employees are finding that now things are calming down after "The Great Resignation" when employers were scrambling to fill spots, they may not have the bargaining power they did in the last few years, Grey said. Fewer job openings and slower wage growth means less wiggle room in your job situation.

The Great Shift? As job openings, quits taper off, power shifts from workers to employers

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida workforce votes 'chaotic working,' 'shift shock' top phrases