Hey Reader,

Before I get into it, if you're in the DC area, and a federal worker facing a career transition (by choice or by force) I'd like to invite you to an event in Georgetown on July 17th.

MM LaFleur is hosting a fireside chat with me! We're getting real about the emotional, professional, and practical challenges of leaving government—and how to reframe your public-sector experience into private-sector superpowers.

Whether you're grappling with burnout, questioning your next move, or unsure how to translate your skills, you'll walk away with:

• Real talk on why and how to pivot
• Actionable tips to rebrand your experience and expand your network
• A new sense of confidence in your value—no clearance required

​Register for free. Come for the insights, stay for the nibbles and networking.

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Now on to this week's rant.

micro-what??

The powers that be are now trying to convince us that we should only take a vacation every 12-18 months... calling it a "micro-retirement"

Micro-retirement is the new HR buzzword apparently. A one to two-week break every 12 to 18 months.

Let's be serious. Say it with me now: We are not letting the corporate overlords rebrand VACATIONS as micro-retirement!
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We already have a term for micro-retirement. It’s called a sabbatical.

I’ve written about the HR trend creep over the last few years, but wanted to share my thoughts on why they are actually dangerous to us, the people who keep this world turning with our time and energy.
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the danger in in the reframe

My (least) fave HR trendy buzzwords:

• vacations ➡️ micro-retirement
• disengagement ➡️ quiet quitting
• flexibility ➡️ hushed hybrid
• happy in a role ➡️ employee nesting

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It’s not that they sound ridiculous. Though they do… anyone else remember resenteeism?
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It’s not just that we already have the language to describe these workplace dynamics. We do, and usually comes down to a shitty employee experience.
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What's really dangerous? It’s the abuse of power dynamics that in every single instance paints employees as the boogeyman.
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​The articles that tell us​
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❌ We should count ourselves lucky for a vacation every 18 months
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❌ That fulfilling our contractual obligations simply isn’t enough
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❌ That being content as an IC, that our version of success isn’t valid
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❌ That being productive where and when works best for us and our team is insidious
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the language we use matters

And in a market where the government and tech are laying off employees by the 10s of thousands. Where 30% of F500 companies use the vitality curve to cull their workforce. Where disengagement and burnout are at an 11-year high given systemically toxic cultures…
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We don’t need another way to shame, intimidate, or coerce employees into doing more.
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And certainly not do more with less.
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Anyway, do you have your next vacation scheduled yet?

You got this.

Cassandra

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