Gen Z discussion: Does prioritising work-life balance hurt careers?

A quick search online can easily show you the downsides of having no work-life balance, but does prioritising it actually hurt someone’s career?

An “exhausted” Millennial online wondered if Gen Z really works the way they say they do—comfortable with being “unimportant” in the workplace—as he cited a short video by Instagram user champagnecruz who shared how each generation seems to behave in the office.

“I'm a millennial, I'm exhausted, I can't take it anymore, I think to myself, why not take Gen Z as inspiration, but then I wonder, do they really get away with that work ethic?” he wrote on r/GenZ.

One Gen Z commenter said it really depends on whether the company culture allows and whether or not hard work actually gets recognised. 

“I draw a hard line at working unpaid overtime (OT), showing up to work sick, and that kind of stuff, but at the same time I’m not going to just skirt by doing the bare minimum either because I have seen myself and my teammates get promotions (and raises) for working hard, so at least at my company I have faith it’ll pay off,” he added.

Meanwhile, another pointed out Gen Zs aren’t lazy, just efficient. "I’m able to complete things in 30 minutes that my boomer coworkers take hours to get done. They refuse to use company tools or services that increase efficiency. This usually leads me to have a lot of downtime. Doesn’t mean I have a weaker work ethic; I'm just quicker. I think a lot of Gen Z are like this." 

A third added, “All people, including Gen Z, reap what they sow. So, yes, there is a direct payback for individual work ethic. In Gen Z’s case, they have the highest job turnover rate of any group."

A study last year from Workforce Singapore found that, unlike older workers, Gen Z employees are ready to change jobs and careers frequently. In fact, by age 25, some are already in their third or fourth role. 

Besides not believing that job-hopping looks bad on their CVs, nearly seven in 10 younger workers say they would leave employers they feel no connection with, prioritising value-driven careers, workplace culture, and a sense of community — even if it means changing jobs more often. /TISG

Read also: Are corporate jobs no longer the goal of the younger generation? Gen Z claims she was ‘brainwashed’ into corporate