It could be a sign that tech's rise-and-grind era is coming to an end: Over the past few months, hundreds of tech workers have taken to social media to discuss low-stress job options, with some saying they're burnt out.
Earlier this week, a Meta worker posted on the anonymous job site Blind asking peers if they had any ideas for "low-pressure jobs." The post generated 100 responses. It was just one of more than a dozen separate posts on the issue across Blind and Reddit over the past few months.
"I think I am burnt out. I have no motivation left," the Meta worker wrote. "I feel like I need a low pressure job where I am not constantly worried about if what I am doing is enough to avoid PIP," or a performance-improvement plan.
Blind allows its users to post anonymously, but requires them to verify their status as an employee of a particular company by requiring the use of their work email address. Insider did not independently verify the employment of the users cited in this story.
The Meta worker said that while they don't mind 50-hour work weeks, the stress of performance-improvement plans "eats me up" and that they've had difficulty finding the motivation to keep going after having kids.
Performance-improvement plan typically come after companies put workers on notice. The plans offer paths to improvement after lackluster performance reviews or act as a form of discipline, and are often considered precursors to termination. The use of PIPs has become increasingly common at Big Tech companies like Meta that have initiated mass layoffs. Meta reportedly handed out thousands of low performance reviews earlier this year.
A Meta spokesperson told Insider earlier this year that the performance reviews are intended to incentivize employees, while also giving them actionable feedback.
A Snap worker who says they used to work at Meta said that they "felt a lot better after leaving Meta culture" in response to the post.
"I'm still not quite all the way healed, but I've gone from completely hopeless and ready to give up, to at least hopeful and enjoying time with the family again," the Snap worker wrote.
A Meta spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from Insider ahead of publication, but the company addressed reports of worker burn out in 2021. At the time, a company spokesperson said that "addressing challenges and building for the future requires us to develop teams, systems and technologies that have never existed before. We value and support the people doing this difficult and complex work."
Other workers on Blind expressed similar anxieties, and several tech workers said they'd be willing to accept much lower pay to work in a less stressful environment.
Some tech workers on Blind suggested the only way to escape a high-pressure job was to leave the industry entirely, advising workers to consider government work, the auto industry, or project management roles.
"No such thing as high pay low stress job in tech," an Amazon worker said in a separate post.
The Blind posts echo a Reddit thread from earlier this month in which thousands of workers weighed in on low-stress jobs that could pay over $100,000.
Hustle culture has always been a big part of the corporate work environment, particularly in Silicon Valley where pulling all-nighters at the office has become something of a rite of passage. But amid mass layoffs, concerns over AI replacing software engineers, and a shift away from Big Tech perks and salaries, the golden era of tech appears to be on its way out.
What's more, the idea of going above and beyond at work appears to be losing its luster for younger generations. Insider's Kali Hays previously reported that students and young engineers have grown fed up with Big Tech companies.
Earlier this week, NYU Stern School of Business professor Suzy Welch told CNBC she's seen a "generational shift" in how younger workers are approaching employment. They are moving away from trusting their employers, she said, and prioritizing work-life balance over pay.
