Gen Z Not Willing to Give up Work Life Balance to Enter Rat Race

Over three quarters of Gen Zers highly value workplaces that care about diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), mental health and flexibility, according to a new study.

The survey released by Bamboo HR and TalentLMS, a learning management platform from Epignosis, reveals that mental health and work-life balance are major concerns for Gen Zers; the first generation of workers born in the digital era. According to the report, this generation highly prioritises wellbeing; and are not prepared to give up their work-life balance to enter the rat race.

The survey found that for the youngest members of the workforce, a caring and supportive workplace is not just a nice-to-have, but a must-have. In fact, 77% of Gen Zers find it important  to work for a company that cares about DE&I; and 76% define a great place to work as one with caring, friendly, and socially conscious people. Empathy, honesty, and the ability to listen are the top traits they value in managers.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE & FLEXIBILITY

According to the survey, 53% of employees aged 19 to 25 plan to stay at the same company over the next year. Of those thinking of quitting, 42% cited burnout and a lack of work-life balance as one of the top reasons. Additionally, 45% of Gen Zers prefer a hybrid work model; and 81% find it important to have flexibility in when and where they work.

“It’s clear from the findings that in order to attract and retain this new generation of workers, organizations and HR departments need to adjust their focus to create a caring and well-balanced workplace,” stated Christina Gialleli, Director of People Operations at Epignosis.

Moreover, Gen Z employees have seemingly normalised mental health conversations in the workplace. Half of survey respondents report wanting to receive mental health training from their employers; and eight out of 10 want mental health days at work.

SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS WORK CULTURE

This survey unveiled a generation of highly-aware individuals with intertwined traits of doers and dreamers; having sensibilities on social and environmental issues, Gen Zs don’t shy away from buckling down and taking action, noted the report. In short, they are ambitious and have high career expectations; but they prioritise wellbeing and are not willing to give up their work-life balance to enter the rat race. 

“With priorities such as a flexible work mode, a socially conscious culture, and the designation of mental health days, an expansive corporate climate will be a key component to retaining Gen Zers,” said Cassie Whitlock, Director of HR at BambooHR. The full report can be found here. 

Here’s some great advice how to attract, retain and inspire a multigenerational workforce; and how to manage intergenerational divides.