Feeling burned out and underappreciated, employees left their jobs in droves this year, with more than a quarter of dissatisfied workers quitting even without having a new job lined up, a new research report from employee experience (EX) platform provider Limeade said at the end of September.

But the factors that attracted disaffected employees to a new place of employment included flexible arrangements for working from home, as well as demonstrated organizational care that made employees feel cared for and valued.

Approximately 19 million workers left for new work opportunities between March and July 2021, up from 7 million during the same four-month stretch in 2020, according to the Limeade report The Great Resignation Update. Meanwhile, the number of job openings in the country swelled to a record 10.1 million at the end of June. The report by Limeade, the Seattle-based developer of an EX platform focused on supporting worker well-being, surveyed 1,000 American full-time employees at companies staffed by 500 or more workers.

“The Great Resignation” is a term being used by economists and management professionals to describe the ongoing trend, dating from the spring of 2021 to the present, of employees leaving their jobs voluntarily in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The burnout rate was especially acute in two sectors—54% in healthcare and 52% in food service/hospitality.

“Burnout negatively affects employees’ quality of work, commitment toward employers, and can cause a ripple effect on the rest of your workforce through increased interpersonal conflict and task disruption,” the report noted. “Additionally, when employers don’t have the proper care in place to deal with chronic burnout, those who end up resigning may encourage coworkers to leave with them,” it said.

Of those surveyed, more than a quarter—28%, to be exact—left even without another job in place, and the workers in this group were more likely by a factor of 1.7 to cite workplace mental health as the foremost reason for leaving their current job. This indicates that far from just putting up with any prospective job situation, employees are being more selective about where to accept new work, according to Limeade.

There were other drivers of employee resignation besides burnout. These included a lack of flexibility at workers’ current job sites, and a feeling of not being valued by management.

When looking for new employment, the top criteria for workers included the ability to work remotely, increased compensation, and better care for workers. Incorporating flexibility into one’s work culture, remarked Limeade in a blog post, delivers “better outcomes for employees,” manifesting as more restful sleep and less stress for them.

Overall, the findings should serve as a “wake-up call” for employers to invest in employee care to stem turnover, retain talented or dedicated employees, and avoid further disruption to business, the report said.

“We have to do better. We have to take care of ourselves and others—and that means caring more for employees,” said Laura Hill, Ph.D., chief science advisor at Limeade. “Listen to employees. Ask them what they need. The Great Resignation is a great opportunity for employers to evolve, learn, and do better. The companies that learn and grow from this feedback will succeed.” The Limeade report is not alone in citing the ongoing phenomenon. A BBC news article mentions a Microsoft survey that showed 41% of more than 30,000 workers all over the world were considering leaving or changing their professions. And in the UK and Ireland, 38% of workers surveyed in those two countries planned to quit their jobs within six months to a year, the BBC story added, citing the results of a study conducted by European HR company Personio.