We often talk about employees who leave organisations within months and question their loyalty. At the same time, there is another narrative around people who stay in the same organisation for decades and are praised for their commitment. But a recent LinkedIn post brings a refreshing, honest perspective to this debate, one that shifts the focus from “loyalty” to personal choice and self-interest.
Long 21 years of work commitment
Career coach Anand Vaishampyan shared a story on LinkedIn about meeting someone who worked in the same company for 21 years and was recently asked to leave. What stood out was not the exit itself, but the calm acceptance with which the employee spoke about it.
“He said, ‘I am okay with their decision,’ Anand wrote. There was no anger, no sense of betrayal, just clarity.
The employee explained that he stayed in the organisation for two decades because it worked for him. “I got good amount of promotions, decent salary hikes and few onsite opportunities,” he said. Like any long career, there were frustrating moments and office politics, but he accepted them as “part and parcel of any job.”
Most importantly, he made it clear that staying was his own choice. “The decision to work in the same company for 21 years was mine. They did not force me into it.”
When the company decided he no longer fit into its future plans, he did not take it personally. “If they are asking me to leave it is because they don’t see me fit in the scheme of things for future. That is alright,” he said. With decades of experience behind him, he felt confident about finding another opportunity. He even admitted, with a hint of realism, “I will be lying if I say I did not see this coming.”
Why employees leave companies today?
This mindset connects closely with what current data shows about employee behaviour. According to iHire’s 2025 Talent Retention Report, 35.9% of workers quit a job in the past year, down steadily from 43.3% in 2023. This decline shows fewer people are job-hopping, not necessarily because they are happier, but because uncertainty is making them cautious.
Another US-focused survey by the same company found that 82.1% of employees are actively or passively looking for a new job. Many are staying where they are out of economic anxiety rather than genuine loyalty or satisfaction.
A 2025 quarterly survey linked to ZipRecruiter showed growing pessimism about job opportunities. The share of job seekers who felt “not confident at all” about finding work rose sharply to 38% in Q2, reinforcing the idea that people are holding on to jobs longer because moving feels risky. This is very different from the job-hopping peak of 2021–2022, when confidence was high and opportunities felt abundant.
Retention data from Thirst indicates a different truth. Employees who feel valued are 63% less likely to look for another job, and workplaces with high engagement see about 24% lower turnover. Staying, in these cases, is driven by how people feel at work, not blind loyalty.