Investor Explains Why Baby Boomer Bosses Are Actually Scared To Hire Gen Z Workers
fizkes | Shutterstock As more Gen Z employees enter the workforce, bosses, especially the boomer ones, seem unwilling to hire them. This is mostly because many Gen Z workers refuse to abide by the same expectations at work as previous generations.
Gen Z doesn't have a live-to-work mentality, and that's not a bad thing. They are requesting more downtime, fewer hours, and reciprocated respect, and some bosses are just not ready to give in to their demands.
An investor explained why fewer bosses are willing to hire Gen Z workers, and it's all because of their work ethic.
Real estate investor Steven Clarke took to TikTok to explain the main reasons baby boomer bosses are “freaking out” about Gen Z employees in the corporate world. “Gen-Z is changing the corporate culture probably forever,” Clarke said in a video. “They’re introducing things that are scaring the [heck] out of baby boomers.”
Some of the “scary” things that Gen Z employees are introducing to the workplace include additional break times, snack stations, nap rooms in the office, and reduced hours. Many young workers have emphasized the absurdity of the 9-5 workweek, arguing that humans are not designed to work that long without a few breaks and that the current schedule does not provide nearly enough time to sleep, spend with their friends and families, or have a moment to themselves.
Gen Z workers are fighting to change work culture to promote a healthy work-life balance.
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However, many baby boomer bosses aren't buying into it. “Baby boomer bosses are pushing back, saying that Gen Z is ‘absolutely delusional, complete lack of common sense and zero critical reasoning,’” Clarke said, reading from an article online.
Additionally, less than 4% of baby boomer bosses say that Gen Z is the generation that most aligns with current workplace culture, and 62% claim that Gen Z is the generation most likely to cause division and toxicity in the workplace. Clarke added that some baby boomer bosses may be scared to even hire Gen-Z employees out of fear of being sued by them over grueling working conditions. “It really shows off some undertones currently dividing generations,” he said.
Many online argued that Gen Z is paving the way toward redefining the work environment and that baby boomer bosses need to lighten up their employees’ workloads. “As a Gen X’er, I absolutely love my Gen Z co-workers," one TikTok user commented. "They have taught me the value of work-life balance, and I appreciate them for this."
“As a millennial, I've been doing this. I don't schedule early meetings, Monday meetings, lunch meetings, Friday meetings, and I'm off at end time,” another user shared. “We saw how miserable our parents were and how much they struggled & for what?! We’re not repeating the cycle,” a third commenter wrote.
Historically, 40 hours a week wasn’t always the norm, as employees were required to work more days and longer hours.
In the 18th century, people who worked manufacturing jobs, including children, were expected to work 80-100 hours a week for six days a week. In 1926, Henry Ford introduced the idea of the 40-hour workweek with no cut wages after he discovered that working 48 hours a week did not increase productivity. Soon, other companies across the country were inspired by Ford’s proposal and adopted the Monday to Friday, 9-5 work schedule.
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The work environment is designed to change over time as people learn more about the presumed working conditions and question their practicality. Many employees, whether they’re Gen Z or not, are beginning to realize that the 9-5 work schedule has been done to death. A survey conducted by WorkLife that consisted of over 10,000 employees found that 45% of workers only worked for half of their 8-hour shifts. They spend the rest of their time scrolling through social media, surfing the internet, or making meals and coffee.
Too much time spent on work-related tasks can quickly drain your energy. Working for just four hours straight can cause you to lose focus and suffer burnout, decreasing your productivity levels at work. The additional four hours you spend on your shift could be rendered useless.
It may be time for us to reconsider our usual working habits. We could benefit from additional break time, reduced hours, and even a four-day work week. These changes were always bound to happen. Gen Z is just the generation that will get the ball rolling.
Megan Quinn is a writer with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.
