Millennial Workers Refuse To Follow 12 Unspoken Job Rules
Millennials may feel entitled in some ways, but they are also working hard and paving their own path.
NDAB Creativity / Shutterstock Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996, placing them between the ages of 28 and 43 years old. While younger millennials are still getting their sea legs when it comes to being in the workforce, older millennials have been in hardcore career for around 20 years. No matter where they fall within that range, millennial workers refuse to follow certain unspoken job rules they just don't believe make sense for them.
The Center for Creative Leadership describes millennials as both entitled and hardworking. Millennials are paving their own way when it comes to what they’ll accept at work. They’re casting off old narratives making their jobs suit the lives they want to live, and not the other way around.
Millennial workers refuse to follow 12 unspoken job rules
1. Always be available
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An unspoken job rule millennial workers refuse to follow is the idea that they should always be available, even outside of normal work hours. The combination of hustle culture and technology have collapsed the concrete boundaries of work, meaning that employees can access their work at all times, and many employers expect them to be constantly available. Millennials are pushing back against the mindset that they should be available to their jobs at all times.
In her book “Happiness At Work,” researcher and author Jessica Pryce-Jones reported that people spend almost 100,000 hours at work over the course of their lifetime. Her research has been supported by the UK-based iOpener Institute, which has sourced data on happiness in the workplace since 2005.
They define happiness at work as “a mindset which enables action to maximize performance and achieve potential.” The iOpener Institute reported that happy employees are “on task” for 80% of the work week, which comes out to 4 days a week. Unhappy employees are “on task” for 40% of the work week, which is only 2 days a week.
They reported that happy employees are twice as productive, six times more energized, and take one-tenth of the sick leave that unhappy employees take.
The expectation of availability wears employees down, which ultimately affects their ability to do their jobs well. By setting limits around their work hours and staying true to their need for actual work-life balance, millennial workers are taking care of themselves while refusing to follow that unspoken job rule.
2. Work overtime whenever they're asked
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Another unspoken job rule millennials refuse to follow is working overtime whenever they’re asked to do so. Many workplaces equate staying late with company loyalty, believing that employees show how committed they are by working longer hours than they’re contracted for. While working extensive overtime might benefit bosses in the short term, it’s harmful to workers, which is why millennials refuse to follow that unspoken rule.
Millennials believe that being productive during their regular work schedule holds more value than putting in extra time. They’re protecting themselves by saying “no” to working too much overtime. By setting clear boundaries around what they’re willing to do on the job, they’re ensuring that they stay focused when it matters most.
3. Work is the top priority
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An unspoken job rule millennial workers refuse to follow is putting work before everything else in their lives. They don’t agree with the idea that work should be their top priority, and they value their personal lives, families, and mental health in equal measures to their jobs.
The American Psychological Association cited data from a 2016 survey by Fidelity Investments, noting that millennials put more focus on the quality of their work life and their need for family-work balance than their Gen X and Boomer predecessors, and they’re even willing to take a pay cut to meet their need for work-life balance.
In order to achieve true work-life balance, the APA suggested mapping out your work duties and your responsibilities at home, so you have a clear understanding of what needs to get done and where to put your energy. They advised workers to know their own limits and communicate what they need, and to let “good enough” be good enough.
Striving for perfection is usually more harmful than helpful, which is why being a “good enough” worker is more valuable in the long run, a concept millennial workers are taking to heart and putting into action.
4. Stick with one job for your whole life
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An unspoken job rule millennials refuse to follow is staying in one job for their entire lives. The traditional mindset maintains that people should stay with one company for the course of their career, but that mindset no longer matches up with most people’s lived experience.
While job hopping might have negative connotations, the reality of the modern workplace means moving from job to job is much more common than it was for previous generations.
Tech recruiter Bonnie Dilber spoke out against casting judgment on job hopping, saying, “I’m so tired of seeing this kind of advice and rhetoric on the internet. One of the most frustrating things is that it centers the responsibility and the blame for job hopping on the individual, instead of on the system.”
“The reality is, people probably wouldn’t job hop if their companies gave them incentives to stay,” she said. “A lot of research out there shows that people who switch jobs are the ones who are growing their compensation. Doubling your salary in three years, that is going to be rare, staying at one employer.”
“A lot of companies have compensation strategies that actually incentivize job hopping, because they put caps on raises,” Dilber said. “One of the main reasons people used to stay at their jobs for decades and decades was because of a pension, which no longer exists. And then, companies remove incentives, like retention bonuses, there’s even fewer reasons for loyalty.”
“People 50 years ago didn’t stay at their jobs long term because they were more loyal than we are,” she said. “They stayed because they didn’t have any options and there were financial incentives for staying.”
Moving on from a job when there’s no more space for growth is something millennial workers put into practice, which means they refuse to follow the unspoken rule that staying at a job forever translates to having a successful career.
5. Don’t bring your personal life into work
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Millennial workers refuse to follow the unspoken job rule that they shouldn’t bring their personal lives into work. In keeping with the idea that work isn’t the whole of their identity, millennials show up in the workplace as their fullest, most authentic selves. They seek out supportive working environments, ones that don’t expect them to be corporate robots, so they can live out their values at work.
Life and business coach Patricia Magerkuth shared guidelines for how to show up as your true self in every situation.
“Showing up and being authentic means we must think clearly about what we value, want, and need for our well-being,” she explained. “To show up and be authentic, you must know who you are and what you want for your life.”
Magerkuth noted that part of knowing yourself is asking how you can align your daily reality with your values, which means asking questions like, “Who do I want to be in this situation or this relationship? How can I be real and let people know what my needs are?”
“Once we know those answers, it is easier to express our needs to others and to have our needs met,” she pointed out. “Boundaries can be as simple as telling others what we will and won’t accept or what is helpful to us in a particular situation or relationship.”
By knowing themselves deeply and setting boundaries accordingly, millennials bring their whole selves into work, which allows them to live authentically.
6. Keep quiet about burnout
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Millennial workers refuse to follow the unspoken job rule that they should stay quiet about being burnt out. Most millennials were taught to equate their productivity with their self-worth, which is a damaging way to enter the world. They were told to grind without complaining, and any subsequent stress or tension they felt was on them.
But millennials have left that mindset behind. They’re taking care of themselves by having open and honest conversations about burnout, and pressing the companies they work for to create change on a systemic level.
As certified spiritual life coach Rolan Legge declared, “Overwork is not a badge of honor.”
“Our chaotic culture makes it hard to separate work and business in our lives,” he explained. “People expect an immediate reply when they text or email you. Organizations pressure employees to produce, [and] over-praise those who don't exercise healthy work boundaries.”
Legge noted that taking time for yourself and your life outside of work is the way to combat the long-term effects of burnout and overwork. He emphasized that a balanced life, one that includes sleep, exercise, and making time to have fun, just for fun’s sake, is a healthier approach than working yourself into the ground.
“You deserve a joyful, meaningful life,” he concluded. “Go and claim it!”
7. Don’t discuss mental health
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An unspoken job rule millennial workers refuse to follow is not discussing mental health at work. While the stigma around mental health still exists, millennials are doing everything in their power to make mental health advocacy a common topic of conversation on the job.
Mental Health America’s 2023 Workplace Wellness Research concluded that a healthy workplace is one that recognizes “the importance of how an individual’s identity intersects with mental wellness.”
They found that 81% of workers felt that workplace stress affects their mental health, and 73% of workers said that stress at work impacts their relationships with co-workers, family, and friends. MHA found that supportive managers are the key to a healthy work environment, with 84% of workers saying they believed that their manager valued their identity reported feeling mentally and emotionally safe in their jobs.
Mental health matters at work. Without mental health protections, people aren’t able to reach their fullest potential, which is why millennial workers refuse to stay silent about how important mental health is in the workplace.
8. Accept the status quo
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Accepting the status quo is an unspoken job rule millennials refuse to follow. Millennials may have been told not to challenge the way things are in the workplace, but they’re not buying that particular piece of antiquated advice.
Millennials know that change is a process that comes from being inquisitive and not accepting things exactly as they are. They’re willing to push back against processes and policies that don’t work for them, because they want their work environment to be best suited for meeting their needs. Millennials are aware that the only way to improve any situation is to look at it from different angles, which inevitably leads to innovation.
9. Management is always right
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Millennial workers refuse to follow the unspoken job rule that management is always right. They don’t accept the idea that rules are rigid, unchanging entities, rather, they believe that giving feedback is necessary for improvements.
Accepting company policies as absolute often translates into a lack of advocacy around the core issues that matter most to employees. Taking the perspective that management is always right can be harmful to people from marginalized groups, which is a major reason that millennial workers push their workplaces to be inclusive.
Mental Health America reported that among workers who felt like their identities were valued in the workplace, 81% said that leadership had meaningful conversations about race, gender, and disability. These conversations can only occur when employees are able to self-advocate, which means they don’t always accept management’s word at face value.
10. You can only advance with formal training
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Millennial workers refuse to follow the unspoken job rule that they can only advance with formal training or by taking the traditional path up the corporate ladder. They know that professional development isn’t just found in workplace training and job-approved courses. They integrate what they learn across all realms of life into their work, which allows them to have a more holistic approach.
Millennials embrace learning and acquiring skills outside of what their workplace offers. They find online resources and seek out mentors who can guide them toward the career path that suits them best. They integrate their experiences outside of work into their roles on the job, which gives them a well-rounded perspective that boosts their professional capabilities.
11. Being in an office makes people more productive
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Millennial workers refuse to follow the unspoken job rules that working from the office makes them more productive. They’re embracing the flexibility that remote work provides them, while acknowledging that a flexible work environment makes them more productive, overall.
The U.S. Career Institute reported that remote workers in the U.S. save an average of 55 minutes every day by not having to commute to an office. 40% of remote workers said that the time saved allowed them to work more efficiently.
They also reported that companies can save up to $10,600 for each employee who works remotely, and the average employee can save up to $12,000 a year by going remote, since they cut back on expenses like gas, buying lunch out, and spending money on an office-appropriate wardrobe.
Additionally, 93% of workers said that being remote has a positive impact on their mental health, and 90% said it has a positive impact on their physical health. They reported having less stress, less burnout, and more access to healthier food choices by working remotely.
The idea that being in an office makes people more productive is outdated and doesn't suit how most people want to work, which is why millennial workers refuse to follow that unspoken job rule.
12. Take what’s offered without question
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Millennial workers refuse to follow the unspoken job rule that they should take what’s offered to them without questioning it. The traditional mindset around compensation maintains that employees should be grateful for what they’re given, which means they shouldn’t negotiate their salary, ask for raises, or expect promotions.
Millennials disagree with that mindset and advocate for themselves in the workplace. They want to grow in their careers while being compensated with fair, adequate pay, which means they don’t just take what’s offered to them. They expect their workplaces to support them in a holistic way, which means more than just putting mental health safeguards in place. Millennials expect to get what’s theirs, which is why they refuse to follow the rule that they shouldn't ask for more.
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a staff writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.