Why Gen Z Hates Remote Work: 5 Fixes for All Struggling Remote Workers

Guess who wants to come to work in your office?

Gen Z.

According to Gallup research, just 23% of Gen Z would choose remote work, while 35% of the older generations — Baby Boomers, Gen X and millennials — want it.

Let’s put this in perspective: Gen Z is the same group of people who started their professional careers working from home because of the pandemic. The other generations worked in the office, shoulder-to-shoulder, for years. They built workplace cultures. And now it seems Gen Z is the generation that wants to either be part of that culture or create their own!

Why Does Gen Z Hate Remote Work?

For the record, all generations prefer hybrid work schedules. Gen Z actually leads that race with 71% telling Gallup that’s their ideal. About 55% of the other generations prefer hybrid if given the choice.

But this story is about remote work, and we’ll stick to that.

So, why does Gen Z dislike remote work?

Gallup researchers theorized that Gen Z is two things:

• Lonely. Nearly 30% of Gen Z employees said they felt lonely a lot at work, and
• Craving social interaction. The majority of them also said they aren’t required to be on site on exact days and times, so they miss out on in-person interactions because others might not be there when they are.

What’s more, in Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace, researchers found a paradox about it. Remote workers are more engaged but less likely to be thriving in their lives. Remote workers report being angrier, sadder and lonelier than their hybrid and on-site counterparts.

“These findings suggest that being a fully remote worker is often more mentally and emotionally taxing than working on-site or working in a hybrid arrangement,” the researchers noted.

Job Stability Compounds Fears

And then there’s this: Gen Z feels like the most unstable and threatened in the job market.

A new report by Allianz Life reveals that nearly two-thirds of Gen Z workers fear they could be laid off in the next year. That’s up from 55% just a few months ago and significantly higher than the 45% of millennials and 41% of Gen Xers who are concerned.

“I think for that younger generation, they’ve not weathered many storms like this, and they don’t have a lot of experience. Many of them still have very raw skill profiles and all this at a time entry level jobs are said to be in flux,” says David Rice, HR and careers expert at People Managing People. “Are they actually? That’s up for debate, but that’s the narrative they see in their feed, and it feels real with how competitive the job market is.

“In any case, it can definitely lead to you feeling expendable or easily undervalued, and that’s going to drive a lot of anxiety. You don’t feel you have influence at that stage of your career,” Rice says.

And when they’re lonely and isolated in their early career, it’s more difficult to talk with others who might help them navigate work and concerns.

So, let’s do things to make remote work more effective for everyone.

Help Remote Employees Overcome Issues

Research has found that people prefer hybrid work. And another body of research that we previously reported on suggested every company needs to align its needs and employees’ wants to find the ideal.

If you can’t offer hybrid, and you aren’t going to bring employees back on site, here are eight tactics to build a better remote work situation.

1. Increase recognition. Use meet-ups and Zoom calls for public recognition and rewards. Send shout-outs in a team chat, during meetings or on an app board devoted to recognition. Encourage managers to schedule time for individual and team recognition.
2. Host virtual coffee breaks or informal social events. Schedule regular, optional virtual coffee breaks or social calls where team members can chat about non-work topics. These can give employees opportunities to connect informally, helping them build personal relationships across the organization. If you notice some employees never attend, you might want to check on their well-being.
3. Offer professional and personal development. Show you value employees by helping them succeed and become the best versions of themselves. Offer online or “lunch and learn” sessions on subjects that help them with finances, career development, well-being and beyond.
4. Adopt buddy or peer support systems: Pair Gen Z employees with colleagues (ideally outside their immediate team or age group) for regular check-ins and mutual support. This can help foster a sense of belonging and develop connections that cross generational and departmental lines, which is a proven way to reduce loneliness.
5. Encourage employees to create interest-based groups and activities: Facilitate voluntary online interest groups, such as book clubs, wellness challenges or game sessions. Providing Slack channels or virtual meetups for specific interests helps employees find colleagues with shared passions and increases their sense of community.
6. Encourage employees to set a schedule. We won’t say “stick to a schedule” because realistically, we can’t do that! But when remote employees maintain routines, they can stay on target as if they were in an office environment.
7. Encourage regular breaks. Stepping away for lunch, movement or regular breaks helps keep burnout at bay.
8. Remind them to start and end the workday. All employees will want a routine to start and end days to help build a barrier between work and life. It’s crucial to well-being to be able to switch off.

These tactics aren’t a one-and-done. They’re only effective if they’re done consistently and done with leadership support. HR will want to monitor participation and get feedback to tailor strategies to your organization’s evolving needs.