Gen Z Doesn't Hesitate To Call Out Of Work For 6 Reasons That Millennials Didn't Realize Were OK
Lee Charlie / ShutterstockAs a member of Gen Z myself, I can proudly say that we're setting new standards around when it's OK to call out of work. We've become the generation that's most comfortable calling out of work to take care of ourselves for reasons that slightly older people, aka millennials, never realized were OK, simply because no one told them they were.
My generation often gets a bad reputation for being unenthused about the daily grind and just trying to get a check without putting in the necessary work. However, Gen Z is simply doing everything they can to push back against institutions that exploit their workers by setting the bar unreasonably high. We're just not interested in reaching that bar at the cost of our health and happiness.
Gen Z won't hesitate to call out of work for these reasons millennials never would have used because they didn't realize doing so could be OK
1. To take a mental health day
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Now that talk of burnout has made it into the mainstream, the Gen Z workforce sees it as a legitimate reason to take mental health days. If a Gen Z worker feels themselves genuinely becoming burnt out from their job, or if they wake up feeling completely mentally and emotionally drained, they're going to call out of work.
The term 'burnout' was coined in the 70s, but it wasn't heavily researched until the 90s. Even then, it was reserved more for people in caring professions, such as doctors and nurses. Now, it's something many of us talk about on a daily basis.
No wonder Gen Z isn't just going to muscle through as older workers did. Mental health is also more widely considered a valid concern worthy of protection now, just as much as someone healing from a fractured bone.
2. Management is terrible
Gen Z workers have zero tolerance for disrespect and unclear instructions or expectations from management. While millennials might have led small rebellions against terrible managers, Gen Z is really putting its foot down on this issue.
Managers can truly make or break your workday. They monitor progress, answer important questions, schedule out workdays, give assignments, and handle all sorts of duties that directly impact their employees. If they know a certain manager will be there, or they simply don't want to deal with them that day, Gen Z will call out of work to avoid them.
Of course, managers have to deal with their own problems, too. They're expected to do a ton of things that may be difficult for them, set by their own higher-ups, while managing living, breathing people all day. However, they need to understand that if they want their Gen Z workers to come in, they must treat them with the respect and dignity all workers deserve.
3. The common cold
As the generation that came of age during the pandemic, Gen Z takes illness much more seriously than previous generations did. Even if it's something as simple as the common cold, Gen Z has seen how quickly illnesses can spread, and they don't want to see it happen again.
They're also much more cautious about getting others sick. Millennials and older generations might have been OK with hearing others cough at work, or even being the one with the sniffles at the office meeting. But to Gen Z, that sounds like a nightmare, both physically and socially.
One report found that Gen Z is calling in sick at record rates compared to older generations in the workforce, but, as mentioned, their concerns stem from heightened anxiety since the pandemic, not from laziness. This conscientious generation just doesn't want to see others become ill.
4. They don't want to fake it
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Gen Zers would be the first to admit that, especially in office jobs, there are so many moments spent literally doing nothing on the clock. If there's an assignment that can be held off until the next day, or an email that is non-urgent, a Gen Z worker is fine with pretending to be honed in on a task while counting down the minutes until the workday is over.
They're doing anything to look busy. In fact, a survey of "1,003 full-time US professionals found that 80% of Gen Z workers admit to faking productivity after finishing their real work — the highest rate of any generation, well ahead of millennials at 68%."
However, it can be exhausting in itself to pretend like you're doing something. If a Gen Zer doesn't want to go to work because they know they won't be doing anything worthwhile with their time while they're on the clock, they're not going to make themselves go in and fake it.
5. They don't want to deal with ignorance
This doesn't necessarily mean ignorance in the shallow sense, though some might call out of work because of clueless coworkers. What it really means is that Gen Z is the first generation to be really transparent and bold about how they talk about workplace diversity and inclusion.
As a result, they will call out of work if they don't want to deal with an environment that seems cold about issues that matter to them. They feel that their older coworkers can sometimes get defensive or flat-out avoidant around identity-focused discussions. It's already exhausting to be a minority, especially at work, so if a Gen Zer doesn't want to go in for this reason, it feels completely valid to them.
Millennials have voiced plenty of concerns about workplace diversity and inclusion, but Gen Z has no qualms about simply walking out if these issues aren't addressed to their satisfaction. We just aren't going to deal with insensitivity and close-mindedness.
6. They don't get paid enough to bother
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Last but certainly not least, if a Gen Z worker doesn't feel like it's worth the money to go in, no matter who is counting on them at work, they won't deem it necessary to go in that day. They know older people see this as entitlement, but we just think it's self-preservation.
Millennials were taught that if they just keep working hard, they'll eventually earn their way to the top. Gen Z sees that as fiction they're not falling for. Taken to its extreme, some Gen Z workers are even revenge quitting, i.e., leaving their jobs as loudly as they can to make a statement about their exploitative work environment.
With such an unpredictable economy and stricter workplace hierarchies, sometimes a Gen Zer will deem it unworthy of their time and energy to go to work when they know they will get little in return. Perhaps they'd rather use that time to find other places of employment or strengthen outlets that generate passive income. With technology at our side at all times, doing side hustles is as easy as ever. There are other options to make money besides clocking in that Gen Z knows about and is willing to engage with if it means more freedom.
Luke Aliga is a writer with a degree in Technical Writing and Communication who covers relationships, culture, human-interest topics, astrology, and manifestation.
