according to a survey in the UK, it appears that of all the things that Gen Z can be accused of, tardiness isn’t one. In fact, one could credit them for a clear-eyed assessment of their needs and the lengths they are willing to go to, to meet them.
A lament that makes its way down generations is about a lack of application among the youth, or their apparently unfailing predisposition to take the easy way out. Every story of a young professional exchanging the hamster wheel that is corporate life for one on the slow lane is contrasted against tales of hardship of a previous generation and the tenacity it took to just hang in there. Now, according to a survey in the UK, it appears that of all the things that Gen Z can be accused of, tardiness isn’t one. In fact, one could credit them for a clear-eyed assessment of their needs and the lengths they are willing to go to, to meet them. And if it includes giving up on cushy professional positions — conscious unbossing, as it has been termed — so be it.
The survey in the UK shows that 52 per cent of Gen Z professionals do not want to take on a middle-management position because the stress is too much and the perks too little; that burnout is not worth the opportunity of causing heartburn to others and to oneself. In Asia, given the valorisation of hustle, this makes even more sense. According to McKinsey Health Institute’s 2023 survey, Indian employees reported the highest rate of workplace burnout. Another recent survey by UKG Workforce Institute showed that over 60 per cent of employees prioritised work-life balance and were willing to undergo proportionate pay cuts for a reduction in workload.
There are several takeaways from this: One, of course, is the corporate culture that assesses productivity in terms of the ability to adapt to constantly changing goal posts. The other is the courage it takes to realise that if the stress is where the money is, sometimes it makes sense to prioritise health and happiness over it. The one lesson that capitalism never imparts is this: If one isn’t around to enjoy the fruits of one’s labour, or if the process becomes a punishment, does it even matter?
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First uploaded on: 03-10-2024 at 03:52 IST
