Gen Z is romanticizing in-person work
UC professor tells PopSugar it's normal for employees to be excited about their new jobs
Many members of Gen Z are romanticizing office jobs as they gain in-person positions for the first time following years of remote work becoming more of a norm, PopSugar reported.
Nadia Ibrahim-Taney
Nadia Ibrahim-Taney, an assistant professor of information technology and cybersecurity at the University of Cincinnati's College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies, said it's normal and healthy for young workers to glamorize going to work.
“They have the next 25 to 50 years of their life to work, and if they aren't excited about it now at the start of their career, imagine their attitude in 10 to 20 years,” Ibrahim-Taney said. “Starting new experiences should always be somewhat exciting, bringing nervousness, joy and a little fear. If young people want to be excited and romanticize office life a bit, I say let them go for it!”
While there's a wave of newfound joy in office culture, Ibrahim-Taney doesn't think the desire of employees to work remotely will fade.
“Employers need to recognize workers have options in how and where they work,” she said. “I am not saying they need to offer weekly free ice cream trucks at the office, but I do think workers are asking for more accommodations and more support in how they interact with their environment to do the best possible work they can do.”
Featured image at top: Four people in an office environment gather around a laptop and smile. Photo/Mimi Thian via Unsplash
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