Gen Z absenteeism soars in UK workforce
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — Absenteeism among Generation Z (Gen Z) workers aged 21-25 in the United Kingdom has risen sharply since 2019, according to new research from employee wellbeing firm GoodShape.
Workers from this demographic are now missing around 8 working days per year on average – approaching the pre-pandemic number for employees in their early 50s. While older employees still lead in overall work absences, Gen Z’s accelerating time off signals a concerning trend.
“The assumption has always been that the younger generation is healthier and the older generations tend to be sicker,” GoodShape’s Chief Executive Officer Alun Baker told Bloomberg.
“Contrary to what everybody expected, Gen Z are closing the gap between them and the older generations in the workforce now. A big portion of that is mental health issues.”
Separate research from Asana highlights that Gen Z workers are also increasingly missing deadlines and spending unnecessary hours on unproductive work.
“When all of us entered the workforce, it took quite a long time to learn, we wasted time being ineffective,” BCG’s Nick South said.
“As you go on, you learn when to focus and where you can take a shortcut.”
South emphasized the importance of effective onboarding, training, and people management, especially in hybrid setups, to prevent burnout and boost productivity among junior staff.
Baker advises adopting digital tools for tracking absences and creating video explainers targeting common issues to better engage and support Gen Z personnel.
As the workplace rapidly evolves, Forbes says Gen Z is among the new trends to watch for in 2024 and beyond.
