Gen Z is bringing a whole new vibe to the workplace: anxiety
This article was originally published on Business Insider India and is excerpted below.
The Remote Generation
Gen Z's entrance into the professional world has been anything but typical. Like generations before them, they have brought a new perspective to the office that has shaken up workplace dynamics. Unlike prior generations, however, Gen Z's first steps into the workforce came at a time when a huge swath of the world was rethinking their relationship to their jobs.
The rise of remote work means that instead of settling into professional life by watching how their colleagues behaved in the office, Gen Z has been largely left to their own devices. That lack of on-the-job coaching, combined with layoffs and the effects of inflation, has left many Gen Zers feeling on edge.
In a survey conducted by Gallup, nearly half of workers ages 18 to 29 reported that their job had negatively affected their mental health. In some cases, the stress of the workplace manifests as a sense of ambivalence and withdrawal from their professional lives. Another Gallup survey found that Gen Z was the least engaged group in the workplace and the most burned out from their jobs. To cope, Gen Z employees are taking significantly more sick days than their older peers — often due to mental health.
"Anxious teams, as has been well documented, can be less likely to take risks, to innovate, and have low psychological safety," Morra Aarons-Mele, the author of "The Anxious Achiever," said. In a 2021 workplace survey by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 56% of surveyed employees said that anxiety affected their job performance. Half said it had negatively influenced their relationships with coworkers, and 43% said it had affected their relationships with superiors.