The younger generation popularized a term for a certain kind of romantic relationship. A “situationship” describes a relationship where neither side leaves, but neither side commits. The concept has now made its way into the workplace. Employees are not quitting, but they do not feel committed to their jobs either.
According to an analysis published by Glassdoor in February 2026, 93 percent of U.S. workers have stayed in a job they did not like simply because it offered stability. 63 percent describe their relationship with their job as “complicated” or “close to ending.” And 74 percent believe that doing work they love is not realistic in today’s job market.
The Glassdoor researchers who brought the concept into the workplace first used the term to describe the career habits of Gen Z. Forbes also raised the issue in September 2025, through the lens of that generation. But Glassdoor’s latest data shows this pattern has now spread across every generation. A Fortune article from February 2026 makes a similar point, stating that employees are staying in their current jobs because they do not want to be unemployed, but what they really want looks very different.
Why do employees stay in workplaces where they are unhappy?
The answer lies largely in the current state of the labor market. When hiring slows down and finding a new position gets harder, employees see staying put as the safest option. But the data suggests this choice is less about loyalty and more about waiting for conditions to change. According to Glassdoor’s review of employee ratings, workers who give their employer one star are 81 percent more likely to switch employers than those who give five stars.
The same review also offers evidence that the relationship can be repaired. Among employees who left a negative review, 28 percent rated the same employer more positively twelve to twenty-four months later, and in most cases, the change came down to a new manager or a new team.
For leaders and organizations, the question is now fairly clear. Does the silence of your team mean commitment, or is it the silence of people waiting for the right opportunity? Organizations that never define the relationship are the first to pay the price when the economy picks up. Asking why people are staying today is far cheaper than asking why they left tomorrow.
The real risk for leaders and organizations is reading that quiet as commitment. When most employees are assumed to be satisfied simply because they have not left, the relationship never gets defined, and the problems stay hidden until the economy starts moving again. The way to turn this around is to start asking now why the people who stayed are still here. Organizations that ask this question in the right time, won’t have to read the answer in a resignation letter.
