The fear of the office is particularly pronounced in GenZ. Almost half of the women and men of this generation (47 percent) feel strong worries about the upcoming work week as early as Sunday evening, according to a new survey. This is shown by the representative WEconomy Generations Study 2024, commissioned by PwC Austria, SHEconomy and Ketchum, published on Wednesday. Baby Boomers are particularly satisfied with their own working life (88 percent).

Half of GenZ Fear the New Work Week on Sunday Evening

Only 66 percent of respondents from Generation Z, which refers to people born between 1994 and 2010, rate their work as fulfilling. This makes them the most dissatisfied age group. This group is also particularly affected when it comes to dealing with stress: A third of all employees in Austria feel burned out, with GenZ it is even 42 percent. Among the Baby Boomers, who were born between 1946 and 1964 according to the definition, it was only 24 percent.

The so-called "Sunday Blues", the fear of the upcoming work week at the end of the weekend, is particularly low among Baby Boomers at only 14 percent. 22 percent of Millennials, born between 1980 and 1993, and 19 percent of GenX, born between 1965 and 1979, are affected by this.

Survey to Show Companies the Needs of Generations

"These results are a clear wake-up call. Companies not only need to recognize the different needs of the generations, but also take specific measures to promote exchange between them," said Barbara Redlein, partner at PwC Austria.

The survey showed that 82 percent of respondents believe that different generations can find better solutions together. 94 percent respect the knowledge and experience of older colleagues, among Baby Boomers it is even 100 percent. Women and men of GenZ are somewhat more reserved in this respect with 90 percent according to the study authors. 88 percent find cross-generational collaboration enriching anyway.

Millennials are the Most Popular Work Colleagues

According to analysis, Millennials are the favourites in the office. 91 percent of respondents enjoy working with this generation. Almost on par with 90 percent is Generation X. Polarisation arises with GenZ: While 72 percent enjoy working with the youngest generation, Millennials are particularly sceptical. 34 percent of Millennials do not like working with GenZ.

One reason for tensions in the office could be due to economic uncertainties, which particularly affect younger people. 67 percent said they fear an inadequate pension. Especially Millennials (76 percent) and GenZ (68 percent) expressed the greatest concerns in this regard. Baby boomers (42 percent) are significantly more relaxed according to the survey. Overall, only about one in three (35 percent) consider the pension system to be fair - "a value that is particularly driven up by the baby boomers (64 percent)", it was said in the announcement.

Big Differences in Work-Life Balance

A big difference between the generations is also evident in the separation of work and private life: The need for a good balance between job and leisure time is particularly high among GenX and GenZ (both 67 percent), followed by Millennials (60 percent) and Baby Boomers (58 percent). 58 percent find work-related emails over the weekend to be intrusive. Especially GenX (64 percent) reacts sensitively to this, while Baby Boomers (48 percent) are more relaxed.

Prejudices Complicate Inter-Generational Collaboration

All age groups reported challenges of intergenerational collaboration according to the survey. More than a third (38 percent) described frequent misunderstandings and 32 percent see age differences as a source of tension. Prejudices are particularly counterproductive. 37 percent of respondents feel that they are not taken seriously as young colleagues - especially Generation Z (58 percent) felt affected by this. At the same time, 30 percent believe that prejudices against older colleagues complicate collaboration. More than half (52 percent) reported that they have already been underestimated because of their age. A quarter (26 percent) even felt discriminated against as a result.

The study is based on an online survey by the Marketagent Institute. 696 people aged 14 to 75 were surveyed. The generations were divided into four groups: Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, Generation X, born between 1965 and 1979, Millennials, born between 1980 and 1993, and Generation Z, born between 1994 and 2010. The results of the survey were weighted to represent the Austrian population.

(APA/Red)

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