My Gen Z employee wanted to leave work early after she finished her duties – here’s how I responded

A simple text between a Gen Zer employee and a millennial boss showed just how much work expectations have changed.

Jessy Marshall, 35, owns Hive HQ, a public relations business. The six members of its staff are Generation Z.

One of her trusted employees recently texted her asking if they could leave early in the day, not because of an emergency or to attend a doctor’s appointment, but because they saw no point in staying.

“Hello Jessy. I’m up to date with my work…anyway, can I unsubscribe? Mwah, – sent a message to the worker.

“Yeah, get out,” Marshall replied.

That communication may seem outrageous to anyone who worked at the height of the rush culture when staying on the job was seen as a brag rather than a cry for help, but Marshall said it’s normal in her business and isn’t bad thing. .

The 35-year-old said her Gen Z staff are progressive, set “strong boundaries” and are aware of their mental workloads.

“They’re much better at saying they’re feeling pushed or exhausted or not feeling like themselves and need to take time out,” she told news.com.au.

Marshall said the younger working generation is simply more “conscious” and health-wise they’re not prepared to burn themselves out.

“They’re good at setting boundaries, but they’re also very good at making sure they work on their own time,” she said.

The business owner said it took her some time to adjust to this new normal. When she was in her 20s, it was all about burning the candle at both ends. Even now she is a self-confessed “workaholic”.

What she learned, however, is that Gen Z asking to go home early because they’ve finished their work isn’t a sign of laziness or bravery. They’re just here to work smarter, not harder, which is good for her business and the office culture.

“On Fridays, I tell the girls, after you finish work, go out. Where we can get out early, especially on Fridays, so they can give themselves a very long weekend,” she said.

Technically, she’s losing time with her employees and they’re putting in fewer hours, but Marshall said that doesn’t matter because their productivity when they’re at work is so strong.

“They’re really proud of what they’re doing and I’m giving them time to renew. If an urgent email came in, they’d respond again because they’d know it was important, but can it wait? Then it can to wait until Monday.â€

The business owner has revealed that Gen Zers are not willing to put in extra hours for the sake of it as “their manufacturing is smarter than the rush culture”.

Marshall said he believes Gen Zers are so disciplined about leaving work on time or asking for early grades because work no longer has an off button.

“There is also not really a switch with our work. We work on social media and media, and there are always events after hours, or sometimes a campaign might start between 7pm and 9pm,” she said.

u & u Recruitment Partners Managing Director Craig Sneesby previously told news.com.au that Gen Z should prioritize taking time off work when they can because we’re in a “digital age” where work doesn’t always a clear stop. and start time.

“Basically, it is a form of their social DNA. The art of true relaxation is perhaps a challenge of the modern age,” he said.

Sneesby said the best way to avoid burnout was to set “boundaries” on responding to work emails.

“Try to be present in this moment. Set boundaries for responding to emails and don’t make yourself too accessible outside of business hours, he said.

Sneesby also said it was important to remember that you can’t be yourself all the time, and if you try to be, you’ll just become “tired”.