11 Things Gen Z Does At Work That Drive Their Boomer Bosses Crazy
Is there a way for Gen Z and baby boomers to get along at work, despite their stark differences?
SeventyFour | Shutterstock Despite being projected to overtake more than one-quarter of the workforce in 2025, Gen Zers are struggling with finding a balance between their workplace values and traditional players like baby boomers that have crafted their professional lives around their own priorities and demands. From productivity, to work-life balance, and even finding a sense of purpose, Gen Z and baby boomer employees harbor different attitudes about their work, exacerbating an already existing generational divide.
Of course, Gen Z's influence in the workplace shouldn't be understated, as they have already successfully challenged many institutional expectations. Even amongst the change-making and compromise already happening, there are certainly things Gen Z does at work that drive their boomer bosses crazy. By recognizing this tension, acknowledging the root of Gen Z's concerns, and making space for boomer pushback, everyone can adopt a more knowledgeable mindset about workplace cultures.
Here are 11 things Gen Z does at work that drive their boomer bosses crazy
1. Leaving early
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According to a PapersOwl survey, nearly 95% of Gen Z workers believe it's acceptable to "cheat the workplace" to compensate for poor wages, unjust practices, or discrimination. Whether it's leaving work early, exaggerating hours, or using company resources, many of these "cheating" tactics are also the things Gen Z does at work that drive their boomer bosses crazy.
For baby boomers, who were taught to be endlessly loyal to their employers and companies, even in the face of injustice or an inequitable work culture, this Gen Z mindset can be uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing.
Not only are baby boomers more likely to overlook their own needs and work-life balance for the sake of their job and overachieving, they actively condemn those that don't adopt a similar all-consuming mindset, sparking inevitable tension between boomer bosses and their incoming employees.
2. Taking sick time when they're not actually sick
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The PapersOwl survey revealed that more than 27% of employees take unplanned days off at work using their sick time, even when they're not ill. Gen Z employees, who have leaned on "wellness days" and sick time to combat mental health struggles and burnout, are especially prone to this tendency, combating their boomer leadership's mentality that work should come before everything else — whether it's personal time, sickness, or your general well-being.
While this usage of sick time is one of the things Gen Z does at work that drive their boomer bosses crazy, research suggests that retired boomers actually do have one regret: not using all of the time off that they were entitled to.
Baby boomers value their families and quality time at home, but they've been pressured into a "hustle culture" that urges them to set weak work-life boundaries and overexert themselves on the clock. Gen Z takes a different approach, doing the bare minimum at work, taking their time off, and setting boundaries that allow them to have a personal life.
Does this research about retired baby boomers suggest that these two generations — endlessly pitted against each other in the workplace — actually have more in common than they realize?
3. Asking for mental health accommodations
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It's not surprising that Gen Z workers, who are already more willing to open up discussions about mental health and advocate for support in their personal lives, are seeking more accommodations than their older counterparts in the workplace.
While it may be one of the things Gen Z does at work that drives their boomer bosses crazy — considering they're the ones who have to truly accommodate these regulations — their perseverance is needed.
According to an AbsenceSoft survey, more than half of Gen Z workers seeking accommodations at work — mental health or otherwise — have been met with criticism, hostility, or judgment from leaders.
Of course, Gen Zers are experiencing and dealing with mental health struggles at a higher rate, increasing their need for workplace support, but these accommodations can truly make the workplace more comfortable, productive, and fulfilling for workers of all generations and age cohorts.
Whether it's grace with time, hybrid work structures, or physical accommodations, everyone deserves to feel supported and comfortable at work.
For baby boomers hyper-focused on productivity, company loyalty, and hard work, opening themselves up to the idea of robust and thoughtful accommodations could help to bridge the gap between them and their younger colleagues, making everyone feel looked after and supported in doing their best work.
4. Doing the bare minimum
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While it may seem controversial or even shiftless that Gen Z workers are committed to doing only the "bare minimum" at their jobs, compared to baby boomers that are prone to overworking themselves in the name of "over-achieving" or "climbing the corporate ladder," it's one of the ways younger generations are setting clear work-life boundaries in their professional lives.
It's even become a trend known as "quiet quitting," where employees do the bare minimum, especially in workplace environments where they don't feel supported or encouraged by their leaders, to better protect their personal well-being and time.
While it may be one of the things Gen Z does at work that drives their boomer bosses crazy, it's also one of the most popular workplace trends amongst young workers, with over half of employees admitting they're currently "quiet quitting" in their roles, according to a survey from Gallup.
Gen Z workers are also the most likely to prioritize work-life balance above things like career growth or compensation, so why would they stress themselves out taking on more projects, overexerting themselves, or sacrificing their personal time for the sake of an employer that's not willing to assist them in taking time off or building a more comfortable work environment?
Baby boomers value career growth, recognition in the workplace, and a sense of loyalty to a single employer — all things that have proven to support them in bountiful careers up until retirement.
However, is it crafting a healthy work dynamic to expect other generations to adopt those same values as well, rather than cultivate an environment where everyone can have their needs met and their values upheld?
5. Refusing to build personal bonds with co-workers
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Gen Z isn't just directly opposing boomer values of workplace loyalty by taking their time off and setting work boundaries, they're also keeping their distance from forming close bonds and relationships with their bosses and colleagues. Gen Z workers are much less trusting than previous generations, according to a CEO highlighted in Fortune, not just in the workplace institution as a whole, but in their peers.
They're challenging traditional expectations, from appropriate officewear to in-person working environments, because they don't align with their own values, but also because they don't feel supported or valued by their bosses and older colleagues.
Rather than try to build personal relationships and a "family-like" culture with their peers — that's only ever weaponized to overwork teams and guilt colleagues into taking on more projects — they prefer to be cordial with their colleagues and leave personal relationships for their time outside of work.
While this may simply look like a workplace friendship in some cases, Gen Z workers are also steering away from office happy hours, corporate parties, and work lunches to uphold this new boundary.
6. Experimenting with traditional officewear
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Dressing for comfort and pushing the boundaries of traditional "business casual" expectations are a few of the things Gen Z does at work that drive their boomer bosses crazy. Gen Z largely values self-expression, flexibility, and comfort. At work, that can look like advocating for a remote office dynamic or simply challenging the rigid dress expectations many employers still uphold.
Coupled with the unjust and exclusionary nature of many workplace dress codes — inherently gendered, expensive, and uncomfortable — it's not surprising that Gen Zers are pushing back, willing to sacrifice job stability advocating for their personal and collective values and purpose.
Of course, many boomer leaders uphold these traditionalist dress codes out of personal comfort and familiarity. It's what they were taught to do, how they cultivated their closets, and how they were expected to dress.
However, recognizing that Gen Zers are pushing back for similar reasons — comfort, inclusion, and self-expression — can help to bridge this workplace gap, supporting young workers' productivity and older leaders' satisfaction in their current roles.
7. Not responding after work hours
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Gen Z workers are most likely to set strict boundaries between their personal time and professional careers, according to a SurveyMonkey report, advocating for work-life balance in their roles and holding their employers accountable for sabotaging their breaks and time off.
One way younger generations are pushing back against an all-consuming work dynamic is by leaving their work at work. They don't keep their work emails on their phones, refuse to download communication apps like Slack or Teams on their devices, and only work from their offices.
While baby boomers may be more accustomed to bringing their work laptops home, typing away on the couch after dinner or responding to emails first thing in the morning, Gen Zers are strategic about their time, protecting their general well-being by setting these boundaries.
8. Calling out misbehavior or rudeness
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According to an Ethisphere report, call-outs of workplace bullying have skyrocketed to unprecedented rates in recent years, largely because of Gen Z workers' value for accountability in the workplace. Not only are they willing to call out their peer's negative language or toxic behaviors, they hold their leadership teams to similar standards, demanding respect and acknowledgments of their humanity, even in traditionally rigid industries.
A Deloitte survey revealed that nearly 50% of Gen Z and millennial workers believe employers and companies have a significant role to play in shaping society and advocating for societal issues of injustice. So, Gen Z workers aren't just adamant about encouraging their peers to take accountability for their actions at work, they're demanding that their employers and leadership teams play a role in advocating for larger big picture initiatives and issues.
While baby boomers are similarly committed to social advocacy, having grown up amid equally important and influential cultural and social movements, they're less likely to bring values to work, which can make this Gen Z expectation innately frustrating, controversial, and divisive.
9. Applying and interviewing for different jobs
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According to a 2019 Yello study, Gen Zers tend to "job hop" more than any other age demographic in the workforce, with nearly 75% arguing they're planning to leave their current job in the next few years.
Even for young workers that are satisfied with their current role, many are still actively applying for and interviewing at other companies, hoping to find both better compensation and their top priorities like work-life balance or remote flexibility, while still leveraging the stability of their current job.
For baby boomers that structure their careers around an all-encompassing sense of loyalty toward their employers, this kind of inconsistency and uncertainty can be disruptive and divisive. It's not just one of the things Gen Z does at work that drives their boomer bosses crazy, it's a misalignment in values that many don't understand on a fundamental level.
10. Demanding social activism and change
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Of course there is going to be generational tension between Gen Zers — who are striving to find shared purpose and an alignment of values with their employers — and baby boomers — striving to work hard and maintain a level of loyalty, regardless of shared values, with their employers — at work, when they hold such different expectations of the workplace.
Gen Z wants their employers to voice their opinions, make changes, and reflect their shared values on a massive scale, even when it causes instability or uncertainty, while baby boomers are much more attached to the idea of familiarity and stability in their careers.
11. Taking all their scheduled breaks
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While it's certainly true that many Gen Zers would prefer to find purpose and meaning in their jobs, the tumultuous state of the job market has made it difficult for many to find their place. Instead, they're working corporate 9-to-5s to make money or working various bridge jobs to make a living, setting boundaries that allow them to make the most of their personal time and find meaning in places outside of work.
However, when they are at work, they're adamant about protecting their well-being and avoiding situations where they're pushed towards burnout or overwhelming stress. By taking their scheduled breaks and moving their bodies, they're able to still find time for themselves amid corporate cultures.
And experts from the Mayo Clinic agree that it's necessary — arguing that a few 20-minute breaks during the workday is incredibly beneficial for boosting mood, energy levels, and productivity.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.