It feels good to get comfortable at work. Instead of stressing 24/7, like you might do at a new job , you eventually fall into a cozy groove — and it’s easy to sit there for years. It’s something many people do on purpose, especially if they’re anti-hustle culture , but staying in the same place for too long can also be a symptom of “job hugging.”

Job hugging is when you cling to a position not out of loyalty or love for your work, but because you’re too afraid to move up or move on. According to Sam DeMasse , a career expert at ZipRecruiter , someone who is “job hugging” might feel underpaid, undervalued, or unhappy in their role, and yet they stay anyway because the thought of job hunting sounds awful and unpredictable.

“It's similar to the phenomenon of staying in a subpar re

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