For many Americans, work has become an obsession, and long hours and endless striving for something to aspire to. It has caused burnout, unhappiness and gender inequity, as people struggle to find time for children or passions or pets or life besides what they do for a paycheck.
But increasingly, younger workers are pushing back, The New York Times reports.
More of them expect and demand flexibility—paid leave for a new baby, say, and generous vacation time, along with daily things, like the ability to work remotely, come in late or leave early, or make time for exercise or meditation. They choose to leave jobs in favor of new positions which, may not offer more prestige or money, but instead have greater flexibility.
Today’s young workers have been called lazy and entitled. Could they, instead, be among the first to understand the proper role of work in life—and end up remaking work for everyone else?
It’s still rare for companies to operate this way, and the obstacles are bigger than any one company’s H.R. policies. Some older employees may think new hires should suffer the way they did, and employers benefit from having always-on workers. Even those that are offering more flexibility might be doing it because unemployment is so low and they’re competing for workers, which could change if there is an economic downturn.
Those who are asking for greater flexibility tend to have college degrees and can afford to take a pay cut in exchange or be highly selective about their jobs. Not all sectors of the economy could support this type of work flexibility. Read the full story.
