Gen Z is prioritizing living over working because they've seen 'the legacy of broken promises' in corporate America, a future-of-work expert says

I just saw Docs, nurses and staff who had pensions for 30+ years just get butchered as the new Hospital system took over. Routed it all to standard 401ks. Why put your soul into a company. They will never come through. That ship has sailed.

It reeks of those headlines saying that millenials/gen zs are "losing interest in buying cars and houses".

Motherfucker, interest has nothing to do with it. We can't afford it!

I’m curious about how different Gen Z is from Millennials here, because everyone in my age range that I know seems to share this sentiment with them?

I want to put the effort I give earning money to be put towards bettering my life. All my lemons are being juiced for someone else's lemonade.

America isn’t a country, it’s just a business. That business minded model for society has drained all decency out of it. The US is a kleptocratic, psychopathic, oligarchy that has rotted out the brains of formerly decent people who have become the monsters we all see in stories like these. It will take multiple generations to fix this, if that is even possible.

"Many of us built, whether it's bought homes or whatever, based on this promise of stability," Jesuthasan said. "There was this expectation that the tail was bigger. And we took on liabilities and obligations early on because of that tail. I think this generation has seen that tail dissipate."

In other words, when millennials did what their parents did and assumed if they worked hard they'd get to live a decent life. Then they got fucked by companies whose priorities became getting as much out of their employees as possible while investing in those employees as little as possible.

As a millennial, I hated the idea of debt. As a result, I've had no debt beyond college loans despite being able to afford a lower middle class lifestyle. It took me never living alone (roommates, SOs) but I did it. The education was bullshit and the loans were obscene but I got a piece of paper that helped me keep my job. After working in the public sector for 20+ years I actually had my loans forgiven... and now rent is going through the roof to compensate. Still, I might actually own a home before I'm 50, assuming current and future landlords don't decide to take me for all I'm worth.

When I finally own a home, I'm sure it'll get washed away by the thirteenth "century flood" that year or some other bullshit thanks to climate change. So fucking glad I decided not to have kids. Fuck this world.

X'er here. Been doing this my entire life. Fuck the corporate overlords. Everyone should prioritize life over work. Unfortunately for most the world is against them in this regard.

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Promise of what? I think the major change with millennials and gen z is that we see through the dogmatism that is corporate culture. Even if the promise was that of the "American dream" 50 years ago it's quite clearly not worth it to sacrifice your youth and 1/3 of your life (another third being sleep) to afford to sit around in a house and squeeze in stagnant social obligations for the rest of your life.

Life is what you make of it, and familial loyalty to a company that doesn't care about me just doesn't cut it.

You mean they saw what happened to their parents.

Not gen z, but God bless 'em. I came to the same conclusion after the first round of layoffs at my first job. They laid off the experts because they had higher salaries and kept the lower paid, less skilled workers. It was completely absurd. Then it happened again, and again. Why would I ever expect my work to treat me with any loyalty or concern when no employer has even shown me or mine any?

You get what you pay for, pay your employees shit and get shit. Completely remove all rewards for hard work and no ones going to be incentivized to do more than the bare minnimum.

The internet is the reason they get to grow up with tons of details about how and why these promises are bullshit and vapor.

I'm GenZ, it has nothing to do with stability, it has to do with what I want to exchange. I don't want to exchange majority of my energy for more money than I need, I want to earn enough to live, and not work more than is required for that.

I'm immediately click bait suspicious of any reporting that's generation says this.

a future-of-work expert

Saw the writing on the wall and just invented a new job.

I'm so fucking tired reading articles about boomers this, millenials that, zoomies this.

i remember reading similar headlines about millenials... this bullshit is always targeted at young adults, and its always the same superficial "analysis"

Corporate America is a shit lifestyle and double digit iq is enough to realize that.

I mean I'm GenX, and I've been fired from three different jobs for reasons beyond my control.

The concept of working for one company for your whole career, getting promoted to a high paying position, retiring with a healthy pension simply no longer exists anymore. You can work hard and do everything right, even be in a division that's making money and you still might lose your job simply because laying off employees looks good to the shareholders.

But it's all the fault of the young people! You just need to work harder... on your LinkedIn profile because what you do for the company you're at right now doesn't matter, it's what it looks like you do that matters more now.

And then you've the fucktards who say in the WEF and other places that "people have to suffer" in order to be more productive / want to work.

They have seen the legacy of all these broken promises. In the old days and in many parts of the West, they would promise you if you worked for 30 years, you have this defined benefit pension, you have retiree medical care, etc. None of that exists today.

But at the end of the day it was the same fucktards who broke the social contract when it comes to work and benefits.

I'm only as good as the value I'm delivering today, and so these are the terms under which I want to work, and you either meet them or not.'"

That's the right approach to the job market and I'm not even Gen Z. The current state of things, like expecting people to work multiple jobs, underpaying, firing to then hire at half the rate, constant layoffs, unreasonable demands and managers it's all bullshit that people can't stand anymore.

numerous Gen Zers are "quiet quitting" and taking a step back at work because they're painfully aware that their hard work could essentially amount to nothing.

When a employers and governments "loudly quit" on people's life's and expectations that's what they get.

In one survey last year, 74% of managers said the generation was the most challenging to work with.

How many of those managers are 50+ years old, with all they ever wanted and a sense their hard work payed off?

In 1960, minimum wage was $1.00/hour and the price of the average home was $11,000.00. Of course people wanted to work hard and save, because they could see that it paid off almost instantly.

BTW, in 1960 $1 million would buy a mansion, a few nice cars, and a couple of businesses. Today, it's what a rich guy pays for a party.

Pfft. This article isn't nearly in depth enough on the topic.

How about the fact that minimum wage hasn't kept up with inflation? How about the fact that social security and medicare will be gutted by the time they reach elder years? If they reach those elder years at all with all the homelessness, famine, drought, war, and genocide that is already here and creeping into even the most affluent parts of society?

When you ask why kids don't want to work these days, perhaps you're not asking the right question because the better question is so uncomfortable, you'd rather not ask it?

Cuz the better question is "Why would kids even want to live in this increasingly nightmarish world my and previous generations have all had a hand in creating?"

But hey, don't worry about it. Just keep your head in the sand, keep removed about shit you don't want to understand, and count your stock options, capitalism daddy. /s

Also, nobody wants to hire anymore.

If employers get to say it when they can't fill poverty wage positions, the rest of us get to say it when employers fail to offer 7 figure salaries.

“Gen Z is catching on. Vilify them!”

it's genuinely bewildering seeing someone my age talk about a 'career'....like...what dude? oh maybe if i work hard the guy will shake my hand and give me a raise? do you live in a norman rockwell painting?

My grandfather was a soldier so my dad could be a farmer so I could be a poet.

My work pays me to work from 9 to 5, which uses the best part of my day. I'm not giving anything more than that.

My stepfather worked his entire life like a goddamn donkey. Even when he was supposed to be on pension his old boss still called him and he actually went and worked for him for free. Today, he's practically crippled from all the physical strain he put his body though. His ex-boss, meanwhile, is rich as fuck and doesn't give a fuck, while my stepfather has the absolute minimum pension and no healthcare.

My grandparents, on the other hand, had a very different story. My grandfather worked for the same employer for 50+ years, never missed a day, and had a decent wage AND a pension which he could access at 55 years of age. They were the last generation to receive their part of the social contract, but the generation of my parents and myself are completely missing out.

Small wonder that the young'uns have eyes in their heads and the werewithal to say "No way, not for me!".

#fuckyourdividends

OF COURSE we prioritize life over work. Normal people always have. That doesn't mean we don't work. What is life without work? Amusing ourselves to death?

I was criticized for years about this approach to work so I'm glad others see it now. If work yielded results sure I'd focus a little more but as it's gotten worse I can't even have hobbies because I can't afford to get into anything financially, mentally, and because of time of working multiple jobs to make it by...

I'm GenX, and I spent about ~25 years in the corporate racket before I realized that they don't give a fuck. I'm all about living now as well, and I encourage others to do the same.

No one has ever wanted to work.

How does one become a "future-of-work expert?" If I decided to become one, what training would I need?

Could gen Z become the new gen X? As an Xer, I feel some solidarity with gen Z.

Why the hell shouldn't they?

You're not even number two.

Hi Gen Z here I got diagnosed with Complex PTSD and Psychosis after a very awful and abusive work environment that's ended in the Ministry of Labour thinking of fining the employer and me suing them for reprising against me for calling the ministry to get the abuse to stop. It has nothing to do with money it has everything to do with being treated with respect and not getting abused. And these employers wonder why no one wants to work for them if they'll just come out with a mental health, psychiatric or psychological disorder

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You shouldn't live to work, that's a terrible, shitty, boring, sole sucking way to survive, sure some people enjoy that way, but those guys are the minority, or theyve managed to make their hobby a job so they're not actually working a day in their life, just getting paid to enjoy their hobby

You work to live. You do just enough work so you can go and enjoy yourself. I generally try not to work too much overtime, and I refuse to be on call unless I get desperate for a cash injection.

Working to live is the one reason I haven't moved out of home - I pay A$450 a fortnight in board, and that's far less than most rental properties, (who usually require that but weekly but for a residence that is far worse than where I currently live) and the only room and clothes I have to keep clean are my own.

I got my hobbies and I indulge in them regularly - I game or read my book on the bus to and from work (recently managed to obtain a steam deck for on the go gaming) I livestream when I want to, even if no one's watching. I go visit my friends on weekends - usually an hour out of my way down the back roads, because I like driving the winding roads and it's a bonus that it just happens to unironically be the fastest route to their place.

My job isn't too stressful, and honestly I'm not wanting for much more than I already have. And because I live at home, Im not in debt (apart from my government university debt, but added taxes slowly pay that off, and there's no deadline to pay it off in full) and am actually saving for a house deposit in the future.

I'm happy, I mean it won't last, I'll eventually have to move out - my parents won't want me living with them forever. Wether I can save enough to get a deposit on a mortgage or have to rent remains to be seen. Hopefully the housing market collapses like it needs to.

Seems pretty selfish to me

/s

Welcome to South Europe. We know work is what pays the bills, only that. Live is everything else.

many genx i know to and im guessing millenial as well.

The only reason i work 80 hours a week is so that my employees and my future children don't have to have the same luck as me.
If i had a regular life i would not ever work 40 hours.

I see how little my dad gets as a pension and how much my grandpa got. I will not receive anything.

we are the dividends

I wish I could tell somehow, to people, that this is what I did. I chose "nope". It's not socially acceptable. Is there a hotline I can call?

Every generation does this. Gen Z can barely afford to.

They don't really think middle aged man are going into work every day busting their plums, just so some cunt above them can buy a nicer car do they?

Bare minimum, every day, don't get sacked. Winner.

I hope this is true but I don't believe it

living over working

Yes, we all want that. But...

Are they eating air? Living with their parents? Accumulating debt?

What are their plans for the next 50 years, because living will get a hell of a lot harder than it is now.

We've all been forced to put work over life, just to survive long enough to work past retirement age.

Where are they living while ‘living’? Costs money to live..