‘Forces you’: Gen Zers reveal what they really think about working from home

Gen Zers have responded to the government’s controversial WFH orders, revealing what they really think about a workplace that “forces” you into the office.

Despite everyone saying otherwise, Gen Zers don’t think working from home is a fundamental human right.

Working from home and the right to work from home have been hot topics ever since the pandemic caused us to turn our lounge rooms into home offices and start holding Zoom meetings in our dining rooms.

Workplaces across the board have adopted different policies, but it is now normal to be able to work from home at least a couple of days a week.

Hence the outcry when, on Monday, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns announced that working-from-home privileges introduced in 2019 would end, with all public servants now being forced back into the office.

The announcement has not gone down well, with government workers branding the move “out of touch” and claiming it would essentially mean a “massive pay cut” for those now having to spend time and money travelling into the office.

One Gen Zer said she was a ‘workaholic’. Picture: news.com.au

She said she'd accept a job with no WFH option. Picture: news.com.au

You might expect Gen Zers, known for their baggy jeans and emotional boundaries, to be the biggest advocates of working from home.

They are the generation that grew up with an iPad in their hands, and many started their working lives during the peak of the pandemic.

However, after chatting with several university students, it became clear that they weren’t really bothered by the concept.

You might argue that is because they haven’t experienced the harrowing reality of spending five days a week in lousy lighting, sitting next to a co-worker who is a loud chewer.

Still, it is interesting to know they aren’t staunch advocates of working from home.

Actually they are pretty flexible … about flexible work.

One Gen Zer in a trendy faux leather jacket said that for a job she “really liked” she’d happily work in the office from Monday to Friday.

Another in a baseball hat, the kind models have made cool again, said she’d “totally” take a job that didn’t offer a working from home option.

Another Gen Zer, who was holed up in a cafe, went as far as claiming she wouldn’t be impressed if a company was big on its employees working from home.

“I can’t really work from home. I don’t do very well in an enclosed room,” she said.

In fact, if she scored a job that offered flexibility she’d accept it but end up going into cafes to get her work done rather than slouch around at home.

Once again no WFH option got the thumbs up. Picture: news.com.au

He claimed it depends how strict the job was. Picture: news.com.au

Another in an oversized hoodie said she’d accept a job with zero flexibility because she’s young and doesn’t have much responsibility outside of work.

“I don’t have any commitments and I don’t have any children to look after,” she said.

Another said that he’d only take a job that offered no flexibility if it was a dream position because “genuinely, I would like a bit of flexibility”.

Are you sensing a theme here?

The young people are very happy embrace office life with the same gusto they’ve embraced the word “slay”.

One student said she would “accept” a job that didn’t offer any working from arrangements as long as it was within an hour and half commute.

Followed by another who admitted she was a “workaholic”, so she was happy to spend time in her workplace and be surrounded by work.

Of course, she did add she understands that isn’t for everyone.

“I think a lot of people like the flexibility, but it probably depends on what area you’re in,” she said.

Finally, a Gen Zer admitted he wasn’t completely sold on the idea of being in the office five days a week.

“It depends on the office job. If it’s a strict office job where you’re at your desk, I’d need some flexibility,” he said.

She said she wasn't bothered by working in the office. Picture: news.com.au

Another said he wouldn't work somewhere he was ‘forced’ to come in. Picture: news.com.au

And then a man in a hoodie admitted he drew the line at working for a company that required him to always be in the office.

“I would say probably not. There is a lot of versatility in the workplace now. The options are out there,” he said.

“Any place that forces you to come in, forces you to do your time, I wouldn’t do that for a long time.”

Young workers who aren’t married to the idea of working from home may find themselves having a leg up when they do enter the job market, with workplaces already starting to see a big shift in favour of employers.

The 2024 Employment and Salary Trends Report from people2people Recruitment found the worsening cost-of-living crisis and a growing fear of job cuts is behind the power shift, with workers now looking to retain their jobs rather than risk trying to find new work.

Experts have warned of a power shift happening across workplaces. Picture: iStock

The aftermath of the pandemic saw employees retain a lot of bargaining power. Remote and hybrid work had become the new normal and the demand for workers was high, meaning job seekers have had significant sway when it comes to making salary and flexibility demands.

But experts have now warned this period is quickly coming to an end.

More than 70 per cent of employees surveyed revealed they were hesitant to seek new roles due to global economic uncertainty, with 64 per cent expressing heightened financial concerns compared to 2023.

Craig Sneesby, managing director of u&u Recruitment Partners, previously told news.com.au that, due to this power shift, employers are going to be able to make more demands that staff may have previously pushed back on, including scaling back remote work and bringing employees back into the office.

He also warned that in-office workers may have a leg up when it comes to be considered for promotions and pay rises.

“If there are two deserving employees who are producing similar results fighting for one promotion then managers are naturally going to side with the person who is contributing more to their organisation from a holistic standpoint,” Mr Sneesby said.