A is tired of being called “lazy” and “Entitled” (English term refers to a sense of law or privilege). They are changing the way the work environment has worked for decades under the leadership of baby boomers – and their predecessors could learn one or two things.
The new generation of workers grew up with classic American dream instructions: going to college, making unpaid internships, and then jumping to a job with a decent salary. But as colleges’ tuition tuition fired, family expenses have increased, and many white collar jobs are in crisis, this dream was destroyed. Thus, young workers are adopting a new way of working – and baby boomers are perplexed.
Recruiters are avoiding hiring recent graduates, and employers are confused by the new generation of workers. Actress Whoopi Goldberg said generation Z and millennials can’t buy a house because “they just want to work four hours” a day. This echoed a similar feeling from Dave Ramsey’s personal finance guru, who said young workers act as “victims and feel privileged,” adding that they “are simply bad.” But these older critics who attack young employees may be referring exactly to the behaviors that are boosting generation Z careers.
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A: Including “cheating”, wearing comfortable clothes, prioritizing mental well-being, setting limits between work and personal life, and accepting unsatisfactory work. And experts claim that these habits can be beneficial to their careers – and to others.
Generation Z work habits that Baby Boomers can’t stand
“Cheating” at work and delays
While older generations are used to arriving at the office punctually five days a week, generation Z is rewriting rules on how to present themselves to work and how they do it.
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About 95% of employees between 18 and 34 said some kind of “cheating at work” is expected, according to a Paperowl writing services report. This may include from late, using IA or “silent holidays.” Young professionals believe that some space to follow the rules is normal – but boomers do not tolerate this flexibility in the rules so well.
Most boomers, about 70%, said they have no tolerance for any degree of delay at work, according to a 2024 Meeting Canary survey. They are much less flexible about this compared to their younger colleagues, as only 22% of generation Z feels the same way over arriving late. In fact, almost half believes that arriving from five to ten minutes late is still technically “punctual”. This practice is relaxing rigid mandates, and often generating anxiety, imposed on employees.
Wear comfortable and modern clothes
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Fashion in the office is another controversial issue. Boomers have spent most of their careers in more traditional and formal costumes. Wearing social shoes, pants, collar shirts, dresses and heels, their white collar uniforms have become a little outdated. Generation Z is changing what is acceptable to use at work.
Young workers are appearing in more comfortable clothes such as tennis, jeans and gymnastics. Some are even opting to emulate certain famous fashion trends on social networks; From the Office Siren to the corpcore, they are bringing the boldness of generation Z to the workplace. The boomers who returned to the office after the pandemic came across a new generation of fashioned tuned employees. Although his style may seem a breakdown of rules or subversive, experts claim that their fashion choices reflect confidence and willingness to change the rigid corporate culture.
“Generation Z pushes the boundaries in every way, and this is not a bad thing. In a way, the world is changing for the better because they are manifesting, ”Marina Santo, executive director of the Fourth Floor fashion recruitment agency, told Fortune.
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Prioritizing mental well-being
Generation Z receives criticism for being overly sensitive or complaining, but it may be just better at recognizing and expressing their feelings than older colleagues.
Young people, and employees of all ages, are dealing with a loneliness epidemic. But generation Z seems to be leading to the worst, according to a 2025 Metlife study. About 35% said they are depressed, compared to 20% of workers in general; 44% are exhausted, in contrast with 34% of all others; And 30% report feeling lonely compared to 22% of the others. Meanwhile, 79% of boomers said they are engaged at work. Only 60% of generation Z agrees.
This may be because generation Z was forced to face life circumstances that affected their mental health. In addition, the new generation has paved the way to normalize conversations about emotional well-being.
“Given what generation Z lived throughout its lives – starting its careers during a global pandemic, growing up with social networks, living with climate anxiety – its difficulties are understandable, especially in relation to mental and social health,” he says the Metlife report.
While the boomers lived their own difficulties and global tensions – from the Vietnam War, to Cuba’s Missile Crisis Protests – they have not grown with so many resources to express their feelings. But generation Z normalized therapy, the open expression of emotions and a prioritization of mental health. This can improve their own professional lives and professional lives of others.
“The fact that there is a generation that is creating boundaries and saying, ‘I won’t do that,’ I annoy older generations, because they think, ‘But I had to do that!’” Said Corey Seemiller, a researcher of generations, to Fortune. But she added, “The fact that they are drawing attention to it is helping everyone because they are making a balance between personal life and work a priority for older generations like mine.”
Disconnect and establish limits between work and personal life
American workers have long promoted the advantages of grindset, working long hours to boost their careers and impress the boss. But generation Z is not going so deep – they recognize the power of rest and disconnect from work, and are not afraid to vocalize it. No matter the widespread criticism that they are “lazy”.
“I would not necessarily say that, as a generation Z worker, we are spoiled. I would say that we have been doing what everyone should have done for a long time: to establish strict work limits, ”Deandre Brown, a 22 -year -old creator, told Fortune.
Many Baby Boomers employers do not like this aspect of the Z Generation -style work – but they recognize power in their behavior. Actress Jodie Foster complained about her young employees being “annoying” for not getting early at work and using incorrect grammar. But it respects their ability to set limits on work responsibilities and schedules. This can establish a new standard and send impact waves to encourage other workers to defend themselves.
“This is what is good about this new generation; They are very comfortable saying no, ”said Foster. “Very, very good at setting boundaries and saying, ‘I don’t like it’ and ‘I want to do that’. And I didn’t know this was possible when I was young. ”
“It’s just a job”
Generation Z is on the basis of the hierarchy at work. Being the younger employees, they are simply focused on maintaining their job.
Only about a quarter of generation Z and young millennials, aged 24 to 35, prioritized daily pleasure in their duties when choosing a job, according to an ADP 2024 report. Meanwhile, 45% of baby boomers over 55 considered it when choosing a job.
A large part of this is simply not having a choice. Generation Z and young millennials graduated during the Covid-19 pandemic and the financial crisis when opportunities were scarce. Finding a job was a battle, but keeping it another. These young workers are undergoing a “crisis of purpose and engagement,” Steven Floyd, owner of SF psychotherapy services to Fortune.
“A generation that was encouraged to work hard and aim at the stars – they got there and wondered: am I satisfied? I really care? ” said Floyd.
While baby boomers were inserted into the job market for a less tumultuous period, they could afford to be demanding. But now generation Z and young millennials are exchanging happiness for professional development – and if they can stand bad bosses or unsatisfactory work now, they can be on the right track to succeed and be happy on another role in the future.
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