A boss has revealed the cheeky text a Gen Z employee sent him on a Friday afternoon that shows just how much they are changing the way businesses operate.
Jessy Marshall, a 35-year-old woman from Sydney with his own public relations firm, employs several people in their 20s who refuse to compromise work-life balance.
The employer received the text message at 3.30pm on a Friday from a 22-year-old worker that some Australians wouldn’t even dream of sending to their boss.
‘Hi Jessy, I’m caught up on all my work…anyway, can I log out?’ the employee asked.
But the question didn’t bother the millennial employer, who said it was fine to have the rest of the day off; In fact, he regularly lets his staff finish early on Fridays.
Craig Sneesby, a recruiter u&u in Sydney, spoke to FEMAIL and explained that Generation Z has a completely different view on the importance of work in their lives.
“Lifestyle is a huge priority for them and work is the necessary evil,” he said.
Craig doesn’t like to generalize, but he insists that when it comes to this generation, their work ethic simply “doesn’t compare” to that of millennials, Gen X or boomers.
The text between the Gen Z worker and her millennial boss is a sign of the shift in work culture across the country, but not everyone agrees it’s for the better.
Jessy Marshall (second from right) employs an office full of Gen Z workers in her thriving public relations business and said she admires them for their openness and ability to advocate for their needs.
“If it’s too hard, ‘just leave’ seems to be a common response in interviews. Resilience seems lower…they need to learn that there are ups and downs in all jobs, companies and industries,” he said.
But Jessy told FEMAIL that her Gen Z workers aren’t lazy, they just have better boundaries than people who go all out at work.
‘Generation Z gets a bad rap, but they work hard, there’s no doubt about it, even if they recognize burnout. “I think they have more self-awareness,” the chief said.
After a studio from fitness brand Lulu Lemon put Australians near the top of the global list when it comes to “wellbeing burnout”, this could be a smart approach.
But that doesn’t mean the millennial PR millennial, who has worked multiple jobs simultaneously for as long as she can remember, is taking a break.
Former recruiter Marina Karp, from Sydney, said Generation Z will “change the world for the better” by setting boundaries and ensuring burnout doesn’t have to be part of a successful career.
Craig Sneesby said Generation Z values lifestyle more than other generations and that for them work is a ‘necessary evil’
Jessy, whose previous roles included professional entertainer, dancer, beauty therapist and spray tanner, “admires” Generation Z and said there is a lot to learn from them.
And former Sydney recruiter, Marina KarpI couldn’t agree more, telling FEMAIL that they are forging the path for a better future of work for everyone with “discerning” boundaries.
“Generation Z is going to change the world for the better,” said Marina.
“As a millennial who grew up drinking the kool-aid of hustle culture and female bosses and working overtime only to realize that even the best job will never love you back, I can only admire Gen Z as they shamelessly enforce healthy boundaries. ‘
But not everyone is on board with the new work culture, with many taking to Reddit to argue that Gen Z workers aren’t setting boundaries, but are just “just lazy.”
‘I won’t lie, I’m in construction and Gen Z workers are pretty lazy. It’s hard to deal with them,’ said one.
“In my experience, at 34 years old, Gen Z is definitely less motivated and lazier than the younger millennials I worked with just a few years ago,” another added.
‘I work in a hospital and my Gen Z coworker and supervisor is the laziest girl I’ve ever met. She wastes her time and doesn’t care in the slightest,” chimed in a third.
Another added that the generation’s “lazy” work ethic was going to “crash the economy,” but Gen Z workers fired back, saying they were “tired of being ripped off.”
‘Why have ambition when you get into debt, get into trouble or get nowhere in life?’ said one.
One man raged that the younger working generation would soon ruin the economy.
Craig admitted that his interest in a healthy work-life balance might not be so bad.
“I think all work and no play is not the way to win. I think Gen Z has a better balance than previous generations,” the recruiter said.
The employment expert believes the workaholic culture has come to an end and said it is becoming harder for employers to get white-collar workers into the office.
Craig said that in a modern work culture bosses need to add more flexibility to employees, as the lack of it is a big problem among younger workers.
“Flexibility and trust are key to keeping staff happy,” Craig said.
Employees need the freedom to manage their own time—it’s what he calls the “secret sauce” to a happy workplace.