In recent months, corporations and their defense counsel may have had to navigate new challenges as a result of the ongoing phenomenon referred to as the “Great Resignation”. Key labor indicators like the quit rate have indicated a trend of increasing U.S. workers deciding to leave their jobs, with others opting to put in the bare minimum effort, in what is being dubbed a “quiet quit”. However, the implications of this trend extend beyond corporations’ internal operations to their corporate defense strategies as well.
Several factors like the rollout of the CARES Act, PPP loans, and enhanced unemployment checks emerged as pivotal support systems nudging the country out of its pandemic slump. But the anticipated return to economic stability was far from conventional.
As American workers continue to resign in droves, this labor market upheaval is seen to influence jurors’ views. This shift could prove consequential for corporate defense lawyers who might need to devise novel strategies to appropriately represent their corporate clients, especially in jurisdictions where jurors’ perceptions may be strongly influenced by the wider societal notion of the “Great Resignation”.
This new labor landscape, in relation to its potential impact on jurors’ views, can present an intriguing study for corporate defense lawyers requiring necessary measures to address updated juror preconceptions and attitudes towards corporations. These measures could include reevaluating the preparation of witness testimonies or reconsidering the crafting of closing arguments.
For detailed insight into the relationship between the “Great Resignation” and its possible repercussions on corporate defense strategy, you can access the original study conducted by the IMS consulting team here.