At a retail business based in New York, managers were distressed to encounter young employees who wanted paid time off when coping with anxiety or period cramps. At a supplement company, a Gen Z worker questioned why she would be expected to clock in for a standard eight-hour day when she might get through her to-do list by the afternoon. At a biotech venture, entry-level staff members delegated tasks to the founder. And spanning sectors and start-ups, the youngest members of the work force have demanded what they see as a long overdue shift away from corporate neutrality toward a more open expression of values, whether through executives displaying their pronouns on Slack or putting out statements in support of the protests for Black Lives Matter.
One of the partners at my workplace had a breakdown and was on sick leave for months because the stress of management was too much for him. Now he's back in a technical role with no management duties and he's much happier than before.
Yeah I've had people senior to me ask where I see my career going and if I want more responsibility or to become a manager and I'm very blunt in telling them I don't want any additional responsibility. I only live one life, there's little point in burning myself out when I'm young when the chance I'll make enough to retire early is slim but the negative health effects are very definite.