Gen Z and Work
The generation known as Gen Z has already made a name for themselves in the workforce, even though many of them have only just started their careers.
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Unfortunately, for better or for worse, Gen Z has faced many criticisms by older generations, particularly the Boomers, when it comes to their overall work ethic.
Lazy Gen Z Workers
Many Boomers have declared that Gen Z workers are incredibly lazy and don’t want to put in effort when they’re working.
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This mentality is completely different from the Boomer generation, who has long been known to put their career over many parts of their lives.
Gen Z and Work-Life Balance
However, many Gen Z workers have claimed that they’re not lazy — they’re just not going to put their career over everything else in their life. They don’t want to live to work, as many Boomers did.
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Instead, Gen Z employees go out of their way to foster a healthy, balanced life. They aren’t going to be married to their job. They’ll also leave their job quicker than Boomers do if they’re unhappy or feel their career is harming their mental health.
Jeff Bezos on Work-Life Balance
Former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was once asked about his opinion on how many younger generations seek out a healthy work-life balance. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Bezos completely differs from what many Gen Z workers believe.
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Instead of believing one should have a life separate from their workplace, Bezos has stated that one’s work life and personal life are the same thing.
Finding Harmony
According to Bezos, he doesn’t like the phrase “work-life balance.” Instead of pushing employees to find this balance, he instead says they must find some level of harmony in their lives.
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Therefore, instead of finding a “work-life balance”, Bezos has encouraged his workers to find a “work-life harmony.”
A “Debilitating” Phrase
Bezos was asked his opinion on this phrase back in 2018 by Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner. “I get asked about work-life balance all the time,” Bezos said. “And my view is, that’s a debilitating phrase because it implies there’s a strict trade-off.”
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Bezos further discussed his views on this balance, saying that the ideal life shouldn’t have a balance at all. He explained, “It actually is a circle. It’s not a balance.”
Being Happy at Work
Bezos further explained in 2016 how he works best when he’s happy both at home and at work. If he’s unhappy in either area, then he feels that his life and his work both falter.
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“I find that when I am happy at work, I come home more energized,” Bezos stated. “I’m a better husband, a better dad, and when I’m happy at home, I come in a better boss, a better colleague.”
Work-Life Struggles
Though Bezos may be the second richest man in the world, he knows that many people don’t actually like their jobs. According to Bezos, this is because many people have very high standards of what they want their careers to be like.
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So, if their job falls short, then they’re quickly disappointed in their career — and often end up hating their job.
Finding Happiness at Work
Therefore, Bezos has claimed that people need to find some way to be happy at work — even if they’re not fully happy all of the time. After all, a little bit of happiness can still go a long way.
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In 2020, Bezos explained, “If you can get your work life to where you enjoy half of it, that is amazing. Very few people ever achieve that.”
Everything Isn’t Always Perfect
Bezos further explained that everything isn’t always perfect. Often, much of one’s job is out of their control. Even if they wanted to change things, they couldn’t. So, learning to work and find happiness within some unhappy elements is key, according to the billionaire.
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“The truth is, everything comes with overhead. That’s reality. Everything comes with pieces that you don’t like,” he said.
Gen Z and Happiness
While Gen Z likely isn’t going to fully change their ideals of having a work-life balance, the generation as a whole still has time to change as they get older and become more accustomed to the workforce.
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Already, there are some signs that Gen Z is becoming happier at work. However, they’re still the unhappiest generation.