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You don’t need to hustle Gen Z back to the office – they already commute into headquarters more than older generations.
That’s according to research from property firm JLL, which surveyed 12,000 employees around the world. This found that workers under 24 averaged three days a week in the office – higher than all other age groups.
JLL’s research suggests that tabloids describing “entitled young” workers as and an “employer’s nightmare” who are “shirking from home” should perhaps refocus their ire at older generations instead.
Aside from age, JLL tracked a divide along geographical lines. China and Taiwan both average four days a week, while countries in the Middle East still average three and a half to four days a week in the office. Meanwhile, the UK and Canada both average 1.9 days, while the US average sits at just over two days.
Such headlines may feel surprising, but it makes sense.
Younger generations have more reason to go into the office than their older colleagues: they benefit more from the connections, networking and ad-hoc training that comes with seeing coworkers in person.
Gen Z workers living in expensive cities such as London, New York and Tokyo may also be happy to escape cramped living quarters without dedicated space for working. A kitchen does not an office make.
Plus, they’re more likely to have fewer caring responsibilities tying them to home, and – if we’re making assumptions here – more likely to want to head out of an evening to meet up with friends.
“Covid-19 lockdowns shaped a whole generation of younger workers who spent their later education and early working lives without the cultural, social and professional benefits that being with other people can bring,” said Sue Asprey Price, JLL’s EMEA CEO in a statement. “We’re now seeing a big reaction from that generation, with being in the office key to their experience of happy and fulfilling work.”
Beyond that, this research assumes younger workers have a choice: workers under the age of 24 are new to the world of work and may not feel empowered to push back against return-to-office mandates or micromanaging bosses.
The figures suggest that hiring younger staff could be one solution to filling desks, but JLL noted that the various generations have different expectations when it comes to work. A sudden shift to favouring youngsters may require an office redesign.
Younger people are less likely to be annoyed by comfort concerns – temperature, noise, and the like – than those over the age of 55, JLL found. But those under the age of 34 are more likely to prioritize work-life balance, flexibility and healthy food options.
Perhaps invest in versatile workspaces with a solid canteen if you want younger staff to show up to the office?
Though a few high-profile companies are forcing staff back to the office via mandates – Amazon and Dell, for example – JLL’s research suggests most employers are taking a softer approach and leaving such decisions to managers’ discretion.
That’s easier than trying to force people – of any age – to work in a place that doesn’t suit them, after all.
