7 Workplace Etiquette Rules Boomers & Gen X Endured For Decades That Gen Z Views As Total Exploitation
Pavel Danilyuk | Pexels Unspoken office expectations and traditional corporate dynamics just aren't working for Gen Z.
It's really no surprise, considering their new priorities and values, but it can cause tension between boomers and Gen Xers who have endured decades of workplace rules that young people now challenge as exploitation. They've earned their keep, and while changes don't inherently invalidate their life lessons and struggles, it feels like they're being taken advantage of.
Workplace rules older generations endured for decades, but Gen Z sees as exploitation
1. Showing up at after-hours socials
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Gen Zers are leaving optional corporate events in the past, whether it's company picnics or happy hours after work. Plenty form relationships with colleagues and bring their personal identity into the office, but they're not going to sacrifice personal free time for the sake of proving their loyalty.
For Gen Xers and boomers, the family mentality at work was often the cause for their burnout and the pressure they put on themselves to be constantly available. But young people are unweaving that subtle manipulation and putting their own well-being first.
2. Answering phone calls after working hours
Despite being proven as one of the most mentally exhausting habits for an employee, answering calls outside of working hours is a practice that many older generations have felt pressured to do to prove their loyalty. They're overworking themselves in the office, and having to switch between their work self and personal self when getting home calls is draining.
But Gen Zers are adamant about protecting their personal time and dismantling traditional ideas of corporate loyalty. To them, this practice feels exploitative. If they're not being compensated for bringing work home, they're not going to.
3. Staying late to finish work
Most Gen Zers are all about protecting work-life balance, so they refuse to stay late in the office. When it feels like an unspoken practice of devotion for a job they're not being compensated for, they're not interested in upholding it.
Gen X and boomer workers, on the other hand, were often socialized into overworking themselves. To climb the corporate ladder and prove their work ethic, they stayed late or worked on weekends without pay.
4. Coming in on the weekends
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Many Gen Zers are intentional about their work-life balance. Some would even choose to give up around $5K to protect their ability to leave right at 5 p.m. every day, instead of feeling pressured to stay and work into the evening like many of their older peers.
On top of protecting the strict schedule they're being paid to show up for, young people are disconnecting on the weekends. While older people save time and money for big annual vacations and breaks from work, Gen Zers choose to use their weekends as mini-vacations.
5. Strict dress codes
When workers wear things they feel good in, both their job satisfaction and productivity tend to improve. For boomers and Gen Xers, sometimes that means following dress codes and feeling professional in their own right.
But for younger generations who value comfort, it's clear why they're pushing back on this traditional ideal. When workplace dress codes feel inherently gendered and rigid, young people are tired of having to perform and invest in clothing that doesn't feel comfortable or authentic.
Older generations have spent decades curating their closet and shaping their professional style, but for new workers, they're not afraid to push back.
6. Not leaving before their managers
It's somewhat casual today in workplaces, but a few decades ago, the "first in, last out" mentality was alive and well. It was written into the unspoken etiquette that workers would show up before their bosses and stay working until after they'd left.
In a world where work ethic and loyalty were often conveyed through struggle and overworked schedules, boomers and Gen Xers were facing higher levels of burnout. While young people protect their well-being by avoiding exhaustion ahead of time, they were a badge of honor for other generations.
7. Showing up to work sick
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Compared to Gen Zers, who take sick days to protect their time and cope with burnout, many older people worked through their exhaustion or illness. In their corporate environment, showing company loyalty and commitment came through showing up to their job while sick.
Work ethic was shaped by showing up when it came at your own expense, rather than setting boundaries. Younger generations are actively pushing back on this expectation and culture, but that doesn't stop resentment from managers and older workers when their young peers call out for colds or mental health days.
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.
