Gen Z Office Staff Shun Desks Despite Little Reward
Little reward: Why Gen Z office staff aren't at their desks
Younger workers are leading the charge away from the office and the five-day work week, but experts say there’s little incentive for them to come into the CBD for a desk job.
New research has revealed the generational divide when it comes to our attitudes towards working from home, with Gen Z and Millennials being the biggest advocates.
The study by the University of South Australia found only 16 per cent of Gen Z wanted to be in the workplace five days a week, compared with Baby Boomers (40 per cent).
UniSA Professor Kurt Lushington said the younger generation found less value in presenteeism and wanted to be judged by performance over the number of hours they were in the office.
“They’re not overly fussed with the presenteeism side of things and just being at your desk and looking busy,” he said.
“They have a strong sense of work life integration, which is blending life and work, and they feel productive regardless of location.
“The question is, is this a generational thing or are Gen Z the canary in the coalmine?”
Prof. Lushington said employers could be “shooting themselves in the foot” by not offering greater incentives for Gen Z to come to the office.
“Employers will have to improve and enhance the workplace experience to get people in because younger workers are coming into an environment that wasn’t really designed for them,” he said.
He said free meals, entertainment, and even childcare could entice young workers to come to the office, and in the long run, it was better for employers and their bottom line.
“We need to create the buzz and vibrancy in our CBDs and offer people more opportunities to interact and collaborate,” Prof. Lushington said. “It’s about bringing the purpose back into the workplace.”
The study’s findings come as the Property Council of Australia warned of a looming crisis in the nation’s CBDs, saying office occupancy nationally was still hovering at around 60 per cent.
The council’s chief executive Mike Zorbas said companies that were proactive and encouraged their staff to come back to the office consistently were seeing benefits, including greater staff retention.
