Gen Z Has Already Reached The Point Where 9 Things Are Simply Unacceptable At Work
Girts Ragelis | Shutterstock For boomers, Gen X, and millennials, suffering in the name of success is just part of the daily grind. Gen Z is pumping the brakes on this notion, however, and they're not willing to tolerate an unhealthy workplace just because it's what's expected.
Gen Zers want to change professional expectations and workplace stigmas. They’re not tolerant of the same things we’ve spent decades coping with without complaint. Gen Z has already reached the point where so many of these things are simply unacceptable at work, and, honestly, we can all benefit from their discontent.
Gen Z is not willing to put up with these unacceptable workplace practices:
1. Chronically low wages
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In addition to having a ton of student debt, many young people are also facing all kinds of compensation issues. They are underpaid at work, as many people are in our current economy, and it's not enough to afford their basic necessities.
Their predecessors have tried to convince them that they must suffer and struggle as a badge of honor on the path to success, when in reality, they’re putting their well-being at risk. They’re expected to overwork with a smile while barely being able to pay rent.
2. Constant pressure to say ‘yes’ to new projects
Gen Zers are tired of being forced to accept unrealistic workloads, especially by managers and leaders who are only focused on the bottom line.
Of course, this is the way it's always been for young workers who want to build relationships and move up the corporate ladder. However, for someone who just wants to work to make a living, sacrificing their well-being and personal time because they’re pressured to take on more than they can handle in eight hours is harmful.
Not every young person feels the need to prove themselves in a corporate environment. Some just want to earn enough to live comfortably.
3. No overtime as a salaried employee
Salaried employees do not get overtime. Even if they are working much more than 40 hours a week. They’re not being compensated for going the extra mile, and for Gen Zers who value a real work-life balance, they’re tired of it.
Especially when employees are rewarded and praised for working overtime without any compensation, it’s disheartening.
4. Strict dress codes
Gen Zers are completely changing the notion of workplace dress codes and are actively pushing back against how older generations define professionalism. Not only are they more interested in comfort, especially when they’re being overworked, but they’re not blindly accepting the gendered ideas about clothing that have traditionally been commonplace.
They’ve certainly reached the point where they can’t overlook these parts of the job that affect their everyday lives and well-being.
5. Constant meetings
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When a meeting could’ve been an email, it feels like a jumbled, ridiculous waste of time. Especially for young workers who are eager to protect their sanity and maintain some sort of work-life balance, wasting time on conversations that don’t need to happen when they could’ve been spent on real work is nothing short of frustrating.
So many young workers are present and dedicated when they’re in the office, regardless of what stereotypes say, but they’re not willing to waste time for the sake of adhering to tradition.
6. Top-down office cultures
While there are certainly situations where a top-down approach in the workplace is necessary, most of the time, Gen Z workers only feel overlooked and dismissed when their leaders get all the space to speak. They want to advocate for their needs and feel heard when they express their opinions, but in these situations, it can feel impossible.
Not feeling like they have a voice as younger employees is part of what takes meaning out of their work, and for most, that’s the driving force behind their productivity and effort.
7. Lacking purpose
When a Gen Z worker doesn’t feel like their work is driven by a greater purpose, everything feels dreary. Even if they’re being compensated well or have great working hours, sometimes, it’s just not enough. While hustle-culture mindsets support the idea that work is something you struggle through, young people aren’t latching onto it.
They care more about protecting their identity than about tolerating a toxic workplace where they also lack a sense of purpose and direction.
8. Getting rewarded for prioritizing work over everything else
Whether it’s managers praising people who come in on weekends and evenings or employees feeling guilty about needing to take time off, Gen Z has reached the point where a toxic work-first culture is unacceptable. They’re not tolerating it anymore at their own expense.
If their bosses and older co-workers want to normalize burnout in their own lives, that’s their choice. But when it comes to rules and expectations in the workplace, they’re tired of feeling guilty for not doing enough, even when they’re suffering the consequences.
9. Feeling guilty for taking sick days
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So many Gen Zers are taking mental health days from work to cope with all of these experiences in the workplace, even when they’re shamed for doing so. They’re using sick time when they’re not sick. And, what’s so bad about that?
If their PTO and sick time are really theirs to use when they need it, why should a doctor’s note make it acceptable? Why shouldn’t they be able to spend a day at home with their families or rest after a long season at work when they need it?
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
