New Gen Z workers already burned out and disconnected

Gen Z workers are feeling burnout and stress on the job more than any other age group, new data finds.

An estimated 91% of Gen Zers are reporting such stress, higher than the 84% average, according to stats from an annual well-being survey by insurance giant Cigna.

The stress has become “unmanageable” for 23% of the demographic, and 98% say they’re feeling symptoms of burnout from their jobs.

A Gallup poll also found that 54% of Gen Z are not engaged on the job, slightly higher than generations past. More 2022 data from work-management site Asana found that the youngest working generation disproportionately struggles the most with switching off from work, as well.

“We found that during the pandemic, a good portion of Gen Zers admitted to not giving a full effort at work, which is a symptom of burnout and other workplace behaviors, like disengagement, unclear communication, lack of manager support and loneliness,” organizational leadership expert Santor Nishizaki, who wrote a book on working with the young set, told the BBC.

But TikTok screen time doesn’t seem to be the culprit here. Young workers are facing a very challenging professional climate, experts say.

“In its essence, work is at a very uncertain time,” Eliza Filby, a hiring adviser specializing in Gen Z and millennials, told the BBC. “There’s horrendous stress about layoffs for everyone.”

Late 2022 data from McKinsey backs Filby’s sentiment, finding that 45% of Gen Z worry about job security whereas only 40% of other workers do.

“I think that Gen Z is getting to see what millennials dealt with when they graduated college during the Great Recession, which is very stressful and will add to their already-heightened anxiety,” Nishizaki added.

That same report from McKinsey also found that 26% of Gen Z, as opposed to 20% of other respondents, feel their pay doesn’t enable a “good quality of life.” It was also observed that 77% of Gen Z are looking for new roles and jobs.

Along with the day-to-day stresses and not bringing enough dough home, socialization on the job — amid remote-to-hybrid transition — appears to be playing another factor as well.

“There are still a lot of question marks around the etiquette of work friendships, office attire and professional boundaries … Having to go into an office, socialize and be managed feels very alien to a lot of young people. The social aspects of work remain intimidating,” Filby said.

So what exactly is Gen Z looking for in a perfect world beyond higher pay and less anxiety? Nishizaki has some thoughts: “Gen Zers want to work for an organization that offers flexibility, a boss who is a coach and a mentor (rather than a technical expert), frequent communication and clarity on how their work creates a positive impact in the world.”