If Gen Z workers have proven anything, it is the fact that they are unapologetically themselves and will not hesitate to share the truth about why they need to call out of work. Whether they didn’t get enough sleep the night before, failed to eat breakfast, or are simply having an off-day, many do not feel the need to censor themselves for their employers.
One boss on TikTok shared a few interactions she had with her Gen Z employees, recording their phone calls as the young workers revealed the surprising reasons why they couldn’t make it to work.
One such Gen Z worker asked her boss if she should still come to work since she ‘didn’t sleep as good’ as she usually does the night before.
The boss, Jamie, claimed to love her Gen Z workers. Although, she does not always understand them.
While speaking with an employee named Destiny over the phone, Jamie asked how her night was. “It was all right; I didn’t sleep good,” Destiny confessed.
Jamie expressed her concern for her employee, noting that she did not sleep well either. “I think it’s just Mondays, right?” she said.
Still, Destiny believed that her inadequate sleep might hinder her work performance, and asked Jamie if she should even bother coming in because she “didn’t sleep as good as [she] usually [does].”
“I mean, I’d still like you to work,” Jamie replied.
Destiny wasn’t the only one of Jamie’s Gen Z employees who was not holding up well. While speaking to another worker named Cage, Jamie asked how he was doing.
“I’m on my deathbed right now, like I’m so dead,” he said. “I can’t even do it.”
Jamie was sorry to learn that the employee was on his deathbed and said she would get coverage for him. However, he claimed that despite the unclarified condition that put him on his deathbed, he would still be able to come to work.
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“It’s just that I’m on my deathbed right now, that’s all,” he added.
“Is it a contagious deathbed?” Jamie asked, still perplexed by the entire interaction.
Other bosses online shared their own bizarre interactions with Gen Z workers.
“I manage a team of Gen Zs, and the best one I’ve heard recently is, ‘I can’t come in; I need to listen to the new Taylor album and really absorb it,’” one TikTok user commented.
“My Gen Z employee told me she was going to be late. She had to shave her legs because she was wearing a skirt because her pants were in the washing machine,” another user revealed.
“One time an employee told me she couldn’t come into work because she ran out of bread to make a sandwich for lunch,” a third commenter wrote.
Gen Z workers could not help but relate to the employees’ phone calls to Jamie.
“The guy who called in to let you know he’s dying but won’t be missing a shift is so me. Like, I want you to know I’m suffering, but I’m not giving up that paycheck,” one user shared.
“Us Gen Zs are going to tell you how we really feel when you ask how we are doing,” another commenter wrote. “Sometimes older generations think it’s an excuse but I think it’s really just valuing showing up authentically.”
Unlike previous generations, most Gen Z workers value work-life balance and seek flexible work arrangements. They prioritize personal well-being and may prefer remote jobs that offer more flexibility.
They are also a generation that proudly values their personal lives over their professional ones and want to ensure they are 100% on top of their game before coming to work.
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A TalentLMS and BambooHR survey found that 82% of Gen Z employees want their employers to offer mental health days. While their proposals may seem absurd to older generations, who often did not even dare to take a sick day until they were being wheeled into a hospital on a stretcher, Gen Z employees make some valid points.
They stress the importance of checking in on workers and making sure that they are mentally prepared for the day ahead of them. This can prevent burnout, and create a more inclusive and productive work environment that employees enjoy working for.
There is no denying that if you hire Gen Z workers, they’ll be unfiltered and real with you. They’ll tell you all about their unshaven legs and mysterious illnesses that may or may not affect their work performance.
However, if you don’t get enough sleep the night before a shift, you may just want to keep that to yourself and chug an extra cup of coffee instead!
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.
