Report reveals Gen Z most likely generation to put in unpaid overtime at work

They have a bad reputation for being work-shy – but it turns out this group is actually more likely to put in the hard yards at the office.

Gen Z workers are the most likely to put in unpaid overtime. Picture: Annie Spratt/Unsplash

As more and more Gen Zs are entering the workforce, some of their more casual and laid-back attitudes have raised a few eyebrows along the way.

Everything from rogue email sign-offs to non-traditional office attire, quiet quitting, sharing salary numbers, impatience and a lack of discipline have been highlighted as some of the challenges of working with Gen Z.

And the generation which will in a few years dominate the world’s workforce numbers is also often branded lazy – which is perhaps one label that needs to be reassessed.

Because despite the critiques, Gen Z is actually revealing themselves to be the generation most likely to put in unpaid overtime, recent data from the ADP Research Institute’s People at Work 2023 report reveals.

The review, which surveyed 32,000 workers across 17 countries, showed people aged 18 to 24 regularly put in an extra eight hours and 30 minutes of “free” work per week.

“Our 2023 People at Work survey showed that Gen Z – workers between 18 and 24 – are putting in overtime and not necessarily getting paid for it,” ADP chief economist Nela Richardson said.

“On average, these young workers provided 8.5 hours of free work to their employers every week, putting in time after hours, on lunch breaks and over the weekend.

“That’s an hour more of unpaid work than put in by workers aged 45 to 54, and three hours more than provided by workers 55 and older.”

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They have a bad reputation - but younger workers are actually putting in the hard yards. Picture: iStock

While the data indicates that currently, young people are highly motivated, the report also poses some questions.

“Will Gen Z still feel so driven to go the extra mile if their efforts are not recognised with pay rises and bonuses?” it asked.

Well, despite the “lazy” stereotype often given to Gen Z, it appears they will.

“While most of the workforce feel they’re going to get a bonus or a pay increase, young people don’t,” Ms Richardson said.

In fact, ADP’s research showed only 50 per cent of Gen Z workers expect to get a pay rise in their current company in the next 12 months, while around two-thirds of most other age brackets anticipate one. Only a third think they’re in line for a bonus.

So, if not for the monetary compensation or the prospect of a promotion, why put in so much extra work?

The answer is an overwhelming feeling of job insecurity among Gen Z, the report suggests.

“Feelings of job insecurity are highest among Gen Z, where half (50 per cent) say they don’t feel secure in their job, double the proportion of over 55s saying the same (24 per cent),” it revealed.

Gen Z workers are the most likely to put in unpaid overtime. Picture: Annie Spratt/Unsplash

The reason for this job insecurity is twofold, Ms Richardson explained – possibly “a function of being young”, but also the current economic climate causing job lay-offs which have been felt more acutely by the generation over the past few years.

This, Ms Richardson said, casts “a shadow of insecurity over the early start to their career”.

In addition, the stop-start return to the office post-pandemic lockdowns has also created an uncertain environment and in many ways stunted Gen Z’s professional development, according to LinkedIn career expert Andrew McCaskill, creator of The Black Guy in Marketing newsletter.

To combat this job insecurity and to prove themselves to be valuable and critical to the workplace, Gen Z is putting in the long hours, but the jury is still out on whether this strong work ethic is overly positive or negative, as accounts of higher stress and burnout are being increasingly reported as a consequence.

“There seems to be a trade-off to this dedication,” Ms Richardson says.

“Gen Z respondents to our survey were more likely to report stress at the workplace.

“They also admitted more frequently that stress was affecting their work performance.”

Younger workers also reporter higher levels of stress. Picture: Thought Catalogue

And while there is no doubt many workers, regardless of their generation, have felt stress in recent years, the research overwhelmingly suggests that it is our youngest workers who are feeling the brunt.

ADP’s research reveals that “younger people report being more stressed at work (Gen Z feel stressed 13 times per month on average compared to 10 times for all workers) and they’re by far the most likely to feel their work is suffering due to poor mental health (54 per cent) and stress (80 per cent).”

Additionally, according to Cigna International Health’s 2023 survey of almost 12,000 workers around the world, 91 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds report being stressed – compared to 84 per cent on average.

This leaves Gen Z in an ongoing and difficult juggling act between burnout and job security.

Shona Hendley is a freelance writer.

Originally published as Report reveals Gen Z most likely generation to put in unpaid overtime at work