A third of young workers want to quit their jobs, even if it means they can't pay bills. Photo / 123RF
A third of young workers want to quit their jobs, even if it means they can't pay bills. Photo / 123RF
Many millennials and Gen Z workers are struggling at the office with what is being dubbed the “Great Burnout”, driving the young workers to give up their jobs despite the unpaid bills that might be lingering.
The junior workforce is up in arms, claiming to be overworked, underpaid and feel unable to manage responsibilities outside of the office, according to Daily Mail.
Many are complaining that they are tired of “working all week and having nothing to show for it” while others have expressed their frustrations that they “can’t afford a holiday, let alone a home”.
These complaints have led to harsh criticism from Boomers and Generation-X, who have dubbed the younger workers as “lazy” and “entitled”.
Co-hosts of the podcast Two Broke Chicks, millennials Sally and Alex, have revealed that the younger generations aren’t the only ones struggling to make ends meet.
What’s more, a third are contemplating leaving their jobs on account of being overworked.
“Half of them are feeling, not tired, not a little bit overworked, exhausted,” 30-year-old Sally stated in the podcast episode, which was shared on Friday.
“We aren’t working for anything worth it in return. Work all week, can’t afford a house, holiday or anything that makes it worth it. Just bills."
Others were a little more sympathetic.
“I am 60 and the demands are a joke now while executives take the big money. The young ones at my work are also exhausted,” someone added.
Most millennials and Gen Zs, when asked about their take on the data, believed it was “accurate”, with many backing up their thoughts with their own experiences in their draining jobs.
“Companies are cutting jobs, but still expecting the same results with less staff,” one woman shared.
“We aren’t working for anything worth it in return. Work all week, can’t afford a house, holiday or anything that makes it worth it. Just bills,” another claimed.
“We are exhausted. Had enough. Working out a**es off for nothing. While the wealthy take in loads of money while they sit back and do nothing,” a third ranted.
The workforce were not necessarily quitting their jobs but hoping to work from home instead of the office. On top of that, the workforce showed a lack of eagerness to take on unrewarded tasks, according to The Conversation. Photo / Getty Images
A University of Melbourne survey of 1400 workers this year revealed that they felt increasingly unmotivated, exhausted and struggled to concentrate after the Covid-19 lockdown.
The study also showed that the prime-aged workforce is twice more likely to feel time-strained when it comes to admin and housework outside of their jobs.
Many people were forced to find new jobs after the lockdowns, which has resulted in workers being more prepared to switch jobs repeatedly until they find the right one.
However, in Australia, younger workers were not necessarily quitting their jobs, but hoping to work from home instead of the office. On top of that, the workforce showed a lack of eagerness to take on unrewarded tasks, according to The Conversation.
Sue Ellson, a careers expert, revealed that the post-pandemic high-paced lifestyle was a big catalyst for the exhaustion felt by the modern-day workforce.
“An overload of homeschooling and combining work and family responsibilities gave people a new insight into other ways of working but although we sped up, we haven’t found a way to ‘slow down’,” she shared.
“When the pace of home and work increased – moving from unconscious competence to conscious incompetence during the pandemic took so much more energy and effort and we still haven’t migrated back to unconscious competence as employers and employees try and find a better way forward.”
