Gen Z Utilizes Sick Days More Than Others
Anxiety and stress at work, coupled with being more health-conscious, is causing Gen Z to call in sick more than other generations.
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Last year saw about a 55% increase in sick days taken nationwide versus five years ago, according to two human resources services. And guess who took more time off? Young generations.
Gen Z is largely responsible for prioritizing their mental health and calling in sick or taking a sabbatical, according to Business Insider.
“There’s just a generational shift towards balancing work like, taking care of your whole self and those sorts of things. I think that we’ve heard over and over again that Gen Z and younger Millennials really prioritize these things. People are just, I think, being a little more protective of their health and enforcing some work-life boundaries, especially around their health,” said LIz Wilke of Gusto.
The COVID-19 pandemic was the catalyst for people becoming more health-conscious and limiting their exposure to largely-populated activities.
“A premium is now being placed culturally on caring for oneself and recognizing that sacrifice doesn’t pay off, which is very opposite to sort of a Boomer philosophy,” said Kenneth Mutos of HiBob.
Other factors for Gen Z taking more sick days are feeling more anxiety and stress at work.