12 Old-School Workplace 'Givens' Gen Z Refuses To Be Part Of
MAYA LAB | Shutterstock Gen Z workers have only been in the workforce a relatively short amount of time compared to their millennial, Gen X, and baby boomer counterparts, but many are already fed up with the expectations of employees. As such, they've decided to abandon many traditional work rules. It might sound bizarre to older people who think workplace etiquette simply is what it is, but there are certain old-school workplace "givens" Gen Z refuses to be part of, believing them to be dated, inappropriate, or out-of-touch.
According to job matching platform Indeed, workplace etiquette is important because it establishes respect among co-workers. However, respect should be mutual, so the rules at a job need to work for everyone involved. From refusing to work into the late hours of the night to insisting there's no reason to go into the office when they can work more efficiently at home, Gen Z is shaking up what it means to have work-life balance and advocate for yourself in your career.
Here are 12 old-school workplace 'givens' Gen Z refuses to be part of
1. Accepting low pay despite having years of experience
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Gen Z workers refuse to be part of workplaces where they accept low pay, even when they have years of experience. Many companies don’t want to cough up the necessary dough to pay their employees fair wages. Instead, they’d rather skirt around the issue whenever Gen Z brings it to their attention. In their eyes, they don’t see the need to pay younger workers a larger wage, considering most of this generation is desperate for a job anyway.
However, this type of behavior is bound to backfire, as a survey from ResumeLab found that 70% of Gen Zers say that salary is a crucial element in determining if they will stay with an employer or not. Combined with their boss's dismissive attitude, employers shouldn’t be surprised if their employees walk away because they find better opportunities elsewhere.
2. Loyalty to one company
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Nowadays, loyalty to one company isn’t a "given" that Gen Z workers feel the need to follow. With older generations, employees were expected to stick around, regardless of the issues they might have encountered. In fact, most employees were taught that their loyalty would be heavily rewarded if they stayed at the same company.
But Gen Z has quickly learned that loyalty can only get them so far. Unfortunately, many employers remain stagnant with their pay after a while. Feeling cheated and like they deserve way more, most Gen Zers won’t hesitate to cut ties with a company if it means increasing their pay.
According to a survey from Pew Research Center, between April 2021 and March 2022, workers who switched jobs saw a 60% increase in their salary. So, as cold as it may sound, Gen Z understands that looking out for themselves can pay off.
3. Keeping their personal life separate from their work life
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Employees have been taught that being silent about their personal life is the best route to take in the workforce. But this kind of expectation can turn employees into machines with no feelings or obligations outside of their careers, and cause burnout among them.
While older generations may have stayed mum about their personal lives, never sharing anything with their colleagues, this can directly impact a person's work life for the worse. For instance, if their employer doesn't understand why they need to show up 10 minutes late for the next few weeks, they'll assume their worker is "just being lazy" and will likely fire them.
So, Gen Zers choose to be clear about where things are in their personal life. Though it might be tough, they will always choose to open up, allowing their bosses to understand if their needs need to be met.
4. Putting in long hours
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Back in the day, it wasn't uncommon for bosses to expect new workers to put in unpaid overtime. These employers cornered their workers and didn't allow for a proper work-life balance. In their eyes, the company's profits mattered more than their employees' mental well-being, leading to extreme burnout.
However, this didn't work out well for employers, as research published in Frontiers in Public Health found that high levels of burnout are associated with productivity loss due to absence and declines in performance. This impacts a company's profits if they aren't careful. Though it might be slightly inconvenient, employers may want to take a page from Gen Z's book and allow them to leave on time.
5. Ignoring their mental health needs
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Both employers and employees must take their mental health seriously if they want to see the company succeed. A 2022 study found that mental health plays an important role in improving job performance.
Working employees to the bone simply doesn't make sense. It not only fosters a negative work environment, but it also creates resentment and leads to low retention rates. This leads to loss of profits on training new people.
Instead of letting their mental health needs go unheard, this old-school workplace "given" is something Gen Z refuses to be part of. Companies should actually take notice of Gen Zers and start taking their employees' mental health more seriously. Becuse companies that don't do this are likely to see a drop in recruitment rates, as their reputation among potential employees decreases.
6. Staying silent
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During meetings with their co-workers, it can feel intimidating to speak up and voice their opinions. Gen Z is known to have out-of-the-box ideas and trying to explain them to an older crowd may feel a bit bizarre. Despite initial fears, Gen Zers muster up the courage to voice their opinions out loud. Unlike generations before them, Gen Z was taught from a young age that their voices do matter.
Not wanting to stay on the sidelines, many are taking up the mantle and being unapologetic in their opinions. In some instances, this can be great, as these combined ideas make way for greater profit. On the flip side, Gen Z's brutal honesty might leave some employers feeling perplexed and a little bit offended.
However, if companies allow for that level of open discussion, what they'll find is that Gen Zers can be quite dedicated in their work, doing their best to contribute and keep the company afloat.
7. Abiding by a strict dress code
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Gen Z workers refuse to be part of old-school workplace "givens" like strict dress codes. They love to show up looking fashionable, and add a little pizzazz to their work wardrobe. And they may be onto something.
In some instances, dressing in a suit and tie doesn't make much sense in a work environment. For instance, if an office is cold, wearing dresses wouldn't be so comfortable. But if an office gets hotter, wearing a stuffy tie can make employees lose concentration and grow frustrated due to their discomfort.
There's more to the conversation than discomfort, as diversity should also be considered. According to data from Pew Research Center, Gen Z is the most diverse generation. As a result, there are additional clothing styles that some religions or ethnicities choose to wear on a day-to-day basis.
8. Communicating after hours
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Though it might sound rude to some, especially older generations who often took their work home, Gen Z doesn't want to be on call all day, every day. Though this young generation likely doesn't have kids, they do have partners, friends, and family members who depend on them to show up after work.
So, Gen Z prefers to cut off all contact after hours and only respond to emails or communication once they've clocked in and had their coffee. Employers might get upset about this perceived selfish behavior, but it ends up working out in their favor, because a good work-life balance actually promotes productivity due to happy employees being more self-motivated.
9. Staying in roles that are unfulfilling
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Most people are taught that they must work hard even if they feel like their job makes them miserable. So, people will stick with companies for decades on end without battling an eyelash or questioning their own happiness. In their eyes, they feel like they don't have much of a choice.
However, Gen Z is slowly starting to change all that. Nowadays, they have zero issues with leaving a job if they feel their needs aren't being met. Between the ages 18-26, 46% of people said that they would rather be unemployed than unhappy, according to ADP Research. Compare that to 28% of those aged 40-58 and the difference is clear.
10. Showing up at the office everyday
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It might be bittersweet for the older generation, but younger people hate going to the office. Especially in a post-pandemic world, you really can't blame them when considering how much they save on gas and time.
Not having to wake up early, Gen Z can do their work feeling well-rested and at ease. Moreover, since they don't have to deal with a micromanaging boss or colleagues who don't like their way of thinking, they feel more confident when turning their assignments in on time. All of this combined adds to their overall well-being and contributes to making work-life balance a lot easier.
A study from Scoop Technologies and Boston Consulting Group supports this, finding that companies that offered remote work saw revenue growth of 21% compared to 5% for in-office work. Companies should encourage hybrid work or try remote work for a year, and they might find that this saves them additional costs and boosts productivity.
11. Enduring disrespect
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Unlike older generations, Gen Zers don't mind telling people off or quitting on the spot, especially when they've been disrespected or talked down to. And while their superiors may believe this to be an overreaction, it's important to understand that people spend a good portion of their lives working.
Jessica Pryce-Jones, author of "Happiness At Work," asserts that the average person spends nearly 100,000 hours at work during their lifetime. This is why respect and decency are extremely important in the workforce. After all, nobody wants to clock in dreading the day ahead.
12. Working a rigid 9-to-5 schedule
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In a 2024 survey from Upwork, out of 1,070 Gen Zers, half reported doing freelance work or planning to do freelance work in the future. Though it might come as a shock to some, it isn't that surprising to those who have studied Gen Z closely.
Gen Z likes to do things on their own terms. As a result, rather than stick to a rigid schedule, they refuse to be part of old-school workplace rules that say they must work certain hours. In their eyes, they'd be wasting their day when they could be focused on their passions or relationships with others.
Though this may not sit well with traditional companies, it could be a sign that offering flexibility to employees is the best course of action. Not only does it better cater to their needs, but it helps boost happiness in the workplace, leading to overall productivity.
Marielisa Reyes is a writer with a bachelor's degree in psychology who covers self-help, relationships, career, family, and astrology topics.
