The Debate: Is Gen Z right to reject corporate culture?
Late, rude and unproductive, Gen Z has gained quite the reputation in the office. But are they right to challenge corporate culture? We hear both sides in this week’s debate
YES: Gen Z being more transactional with their employers is entirely rational
Gen Z are right to reject corporate culture, or at least the version of it many of us inherited: presenteeism, rigid hierarchy and the expectation of long working hours, all dressed up as “commitment” to your career and your employer.
This is the first generation to grow up with a more equal share of voice at home. They’ve been encouraged to question decisions, express opinions and expect transparency. Why would they suddenly abandon that mindset when they enter the workplace?
Covid accelerated this shift. Corporate culture changed permanently, not just because of hybrid working, but because the emotional relationship many people had with work changed too. Work is no longer the centre of identity or community it once was, and younger generations are understandably setting clearer boundaries around what they will and won’t tolerate.
This is also the generation who came of age watching headlines about thousands of employees at globally recognised, seemingly thriving organisations, being fired overnight via email. The old promise that loyalty guarantees security has clearly broken down. In that context, it’s entirely rational that Gen Z are more transactional with employers and more protective of their personal time.
Gen Z has infinite, immediate access to information. They are used to scrutinising institutions, brands and public figures in real time, so naturally they apply the same standards to employers. Deloitte found that 40 per cent have rejected assignments or employers over personal ethics alone.
Personally, I find this encouraging. If Gen Z is demanding healthier, fairer and more human workplaces, that’s not something to resist, it’s progress.
Alex Goat is CEO at Livity and an expert advisor to the DCMS National Youth Strategy
NO: For all its flaws, the corporate world offers something valuable: structure
That Gen Z workers are rejecting corporate culture isn’t surprising, but it is misguided for them to do so so early on in their careers. With so many entry level jobs disappearing and the death of the Saturday job, it does young people no favours to reject the very culture they need to be part of before they’ve made any headway.
For a generation raised in an always-on, algorithmically-driven, highly individualised world, where academic progress was continually assessed and feedback was constant, the unspoken etiquette and rigidity of corporate culture can be a very uncomfortable fit.
Gen Z workers came of age against a backdrop of rising living costs, housing insecurity, AI disruption and mental health struggles. Oh, and an actual pandemic. It’s a bleak and messy picture which can make the idea of setting an alarm, and catching the bus to work an eight-hour shift (possibly with no lunch break) feel less like ambition and more like denial.
Corporate culture, of course, is far from perfect. Offices can be hierarchical, political and deeply frustrating, even for those of us with decades of experience. But rejecting corporate culture outright, particularly as a new entrant to the workforce, is a mistake.
Because for all its flaws, the corporate world still offers something valuable: structure, confidence, relationships, skills and momentum. It exposes us to different personalities, different backgrounds and different ways of thinking. It’s how we learn to communicate, collaborate, deal with conflict and recover from mistakes.
And if workplaces do need to change (and many absolutely do) that change is far more likely to happen from the inside – after you’ve won the respect of the organisation – than from total disengagement.
Many problematic Gen Z workplace behaviours stem from a slow, corrosive anxiety about the future of work itself. I understand it. But withdrawing completely, or refusing to play the game while you’re there, risks making an already uncertain future feel even shakier.
Hannah Willions is the the author of Start Now: The Essential Guide to Jobs, Money and Making it Happen (Bloomsbury Business, Jan 2027), available for pre-order now.
THE VERDICT
Almost half of Gen Z think being 10 minutes late counts as being on time, and over half of UK employers are worried about graduate professionalism. Go figure.
Trends like ‘quiet quitting’ (doing no work beyond your job description) and ‘bare minimum Mondays’ (having a slow start to the week) have understandably given the impression that young people have lost the sense of discipline and diligence that governed older corporate structures. But is that really so bad? As Ms Goat argues, that Gen Z have become more transactional with their employers is rational. With the traditional rewards of work (job security, affording a house) no longer a given, Gen Z workers have little incentive to go above and beyond. But then again, is turning up on time, dressing professionally and having some deference to your boss really above and beyond? Gen Z may be right to reshape parts of corporate culture, but losing basic etiquette – punctuality, respect, discipline – will cost us all.