Posted on 01/13/2026 2:15:33 AM PST by Olog-hai
Managers across industries are terminating Generation Z employees at a pace that is starting to reshape early career norms. Instead of the traditional multi‑year ramp, many Gen Z hires are being cut within months, as supervisors point to recurring behavior patterns and a widening gap between expectations on both sides. The trend is forcing companies, and young workers, to confront what is really driving these rapid exits and how much of the problem lies with individual conduct versus outdated systems.
At the center of the tension is a perception that Gen Z brings fresh energy but also a different relationship to authority, feedback, and work itself. Managers describe a cohort that is highly vocal about values and boundaries, while leaders still measure performance through reliability, initiative, and communication. The collision between those standards is where jobs are being lost fastest. […]
A detailed rundown of (why) reasons bosses are (firing Gen Z) highlights patterns like chronic lateness, ignoring dress codes, and what supervisors interpret as disrespectful tone in emails or chat. Another gallery of employer feedback notes that a perceived lack of motivation sits at the top of the list, followed closely by poor communication and difficulty accepting feedback. From the managerial vantage point, these are not abstract generational quirks but concrete behaviors that make it hard to trust someone with clients, deadlines, or confidential work. …
(Excerpt) Read more at thedailyoverview.com ...
Excellent post. Nails the root cause.
Simple beautiful horror in those truths.
“Spoiled brats”
Absolutely! 100%.
My friend’s teen granddaughter needs to be slapped into the middle of next week for her disrespectful snotty behavior. It’s her mother’s fault, rationalizing that “she’s just finding herself”.
Ah yes, the PIP-BOY. The only answer's or opinion's the Z's have comes from their "PIP-BOY".
Allowing women into the workforce, essentially doubled the supply of Labor. Economics 101, an increase in supply puts downward pressure on wages, to the point that to get by both spouses had to work.
And then consider the additional expenses incurred from having both parents working, and in the end, it just isn’t worth it.
A detailed rundown of (why) reasons bosses are (firing Gen Z) highlights patterns like chronic lateness, ignoring dress codes, and what supervisors interpret as disrespectful tone in emails or chat. Another gallery of employer feedback notes that a perceived lack of motivation sits at the top of the list, followed closely by poor communication and difficulty accepting feedback.
So showing up on time, dressing appropriately, being respectful, and motivated (IOW, expecting personal accountability and maturity) are an *outdated system*??????
I don't think so.
“they despise how their GenX parents spent so much of their life at work, doing work, everything revolving around work”
Good employers incorporate work-life balance in their workplaces. This alone will ensure employees are kept for years developing decades of experience to help a company grow.
Too many employers today essentially want slaves, especially private equity owned firms.
Our company was bought by a PE firm late last year. Our health insurance deductible went from $250 to $4,800.
We used to be able to come in at any time from 6 am to noon. As long as you put in 8 hours and your work orders were completed nobody cared. Your kid has to be at school between 8:15 and 8:30 so you can’t be there before 8:45? Too bad.
PE cracked the whip, didn’t issue the annual bonus, and the place is emptying out. Literally centuries of work experience left, the production floor empty, sales down for the first time sine 2003.
bkmk
“Get rid of welfare. Problem solved.”
I dunno. The super brats of Gen Z whom I’ve been around have been raised in upper middle-class homes with plenty of money. Too much money, maybe, because the kids were/are showered with every little thing they wanted.
Of course, both parents worked to achieve financial success. It’s probable that not having a stay-at-home parent is a big factor in the zombie kids. (Does the “Z” stand for “zombie”? Hmmm....)
True enough.
And perhaps some need it pointed out that poisonous corporate culture that many of us have had to work with (which this article seems to unconsciously promote) really isn’t all that defensible.
It is what is is, but doesn’t mean people have to just accept it.
Indeed. I have seen a lot of this lately. It may be the salvation of this generation. College, and the accompanying debt has failed them, along with the miserable state of their primary education. I interface with many Gen-Z tradesmen during the week, and many of them were either homeschooled, prior military. or both.
And, really, I work with a lot of Filipinos. No one could suck more.
4 years since they were onboarded and they still aren't given complex tasks. But, they make $8K a year, so they stay.
Back in the day, when I was a ‘supervisor’, our department head (who was himself a ‘problem’) kept having Human Resources conduct supervisor training sessions. I finally got so sick of it, I raised my hand and asked the trainer “when are you going to have training sessions for the employees on how to be a good employee ... like showing up for work on time, not showing up in yesterday’s clothes smelling like stale beer, fighting with coworkers, getting work done on time, etc.?” No answer, just an embarrassed look.
I was a ‘tough’ supervisor and enforced good employee behavior - fired a few folks too. The employees reacted with respect and we all got along fine once they knew the company policies & procedures would be enforced with an even hand. A good way to lose respect was to be a wimp & call an employee meeting & lecture the entire group about showing up at work on time when only one employee was showing up late.
“For the life of me, I can’t imagine how someone can reach the age of 25 without ever holding a job.”
A big part of that problem is the minimum wage.
I worked in a shop where half to youngsters wouldn’t come to the office but 2 days a week (pre-Co China flu too) and when they did they would play ping-pong, take naps on one of the many lounging couches around or go into the glass private phone call rooms and pretend to be on the phone while surfing social media sites. They would come in around 11am play around a while, go to much, come back and play, then actually try and work a few hours, then after about 5 they would again relax until time to leave around 8-9pm. It was hard to get them to meetings at all. I only stayed there a year and had to move on I couldn’t take it.
Where I am now, we only have a few like that and they are on betting apps all day but natural turn-over pushes them out after a few months to a year.
Each of the things mentioned above points to one simple issue.
Immaturity.
Imagine what happens when gen z become the managers? We will be begging for ai.
Agreed. It’s created a “me first” culture. Avoid anyone that posts lots of selfies on social media, it’s a clue.
We hired an intern, told him exactly what he would be doing during interviews, when he arrived he proceeds to inform that it’s not what he wants to do and tell us of what he would rather be doing.
He had an opportunity to be on the ground floor of some cutting-edge designs and learn how it’s done. He insisted on other work, so we let him go. He seemed to be under the impression that he got to dictate to us what work he would be doing.
Unreal.
Long-timers on this Forum often remark that the tone has lowered, which may be due to a generational shift such as this article describes. We see the above-cited complaints about behavior on several FR posts daily:
Disrespect: Some posters can’t post a counter argument without adding “moron” or similar diss.Lack of motivation: Many posters won’t read the linked article, but insist that others explain the details to them.
Poor communication: Some posters write in acronyms, “shop talk” or from their deeply personal verbal shorthand, then whine or attack when others can’t decipher it.
Won't accept feedback: And most definitely, some posters cannot take accountability for having posted inaccurate information or gratuitous personal insults.
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