Companies have coined a nickname for the trend: Gen Lay-Z. But the data shows it's less about lethargy and more about a generation deciding that hustle culture isn't paying back what it costs.
The Gen Lay-Z Stereotype
Companies love to complain that young people don't want to work. They even came up with a name for it: Gen Lay-Zs. 🫠
The data does show that Gen Z isn't willing to burn themselves out for a job - but it's not because they're lazy, it's because they're just tired.
Many feel like even with two full-time jobs, they can barely afford rent and groceries, let alone dream of owning a home. So instead of chasing the impossible, they're choosing to enjoy the right now.
"I'm not saving for a house because I can't. I just want to fund my lifestyle. I want to go out for drinks with my friends and buy nice clothes and maybe go on a holiday at the end of the year if I'm very lucky. But even those things can feel so out of reach that I'm like, why would I go above and beyond to try and afford that?"
You'll find more on that in this article.
What the Numbers Actually Say
The "lazy" framing doesn't hold up when you look at the survey data. Deloitte's 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, covering 23,482 respondents across 44 countries, found that 40% of Gen Z workers feel stressed or anxious most or all of the time, and 42% identify their job as a significant source of that stress. Among Gen Z employees whose work contributes to stress, the top three drivers are long working hours (48%), lack of recognition (48%), and toxic workplace cultures (44%). Financial insecurity among Gen Z respondents jumped from 30% in 2024 to 48% in 2025 - effectively a 60% spike in a single year. The quote from The Standard that Lisa references in the original lines up with what the broader Deloitte data also shows: this generation is disengaging because the financial math has stopped working, not because the work ethic has disappeared.
What This Means for Office Managers
Be transparent about pay and progression. Gen Z values clear earning paths more than the latest perk.
Build in real recovery time. If long hours are the top stressor, no amount of ping-pong tables will offset it.
Recognise work in public, not only in performance reviews. Recognition is one of the cheapest retention tools available.
Audit the small frictions. Broken booking processes, unclear parking rules, and last-minute seating chaos are everyday irritants Gen Z notices and burns out on faster than older cohorts - and they're some of the easiest things to fix.
Read the wider context. The conversation on salaries, burnout, and the reality of office management is a good companion piece on why the same pressures hit office managers themselves.
