“We call Gen Z the ‘activist generation’, and we’re seeing them demand more accountability,” says Fraser, pointing to amenities like gender-neutral toilets, eco-friendly snack options and office spaces that offer more opportunities to build community. She also notes: “We’re seeing heightened expectations around those moments that don’t have to do with work – whereas, pre-pandemic, people would come in focusing [more strictly] on work.”
Plus, as young people compose more of the workforce, not only are they not excited about the office culture of past – they’ve never experienced it.
“I’ve never known an office culture that was not remote,” says 24-year-old Jamie Masterson, a digital marketing specialist who entered the US workforce in 2021, in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic. “I’ve heard about the infamous ‘fun’ activities in the office – cool downtime areas, ping-pong tables, things like that. And I don’t think I’ve ever been wildly intrigued by them.”
Masterson, instead, is more interested in tangible benefits like pay, healthcare and flexible time off. “People take breaks in their own way and can form connections in their own way. [Office perks] being considered ‘benefits’ compared to something actually beneficial – something monetary – during a time when people are in crisis and our country’s in crisis, it just feels a little tone-deaf.”
And amid years of mass layoffs that continue with a steady drumbeat, workers are more concerned with financial security and wellbeing. This can make the focus on office culture feel particularly out of touch for workers like Masterson.
Ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with fun office perks – but if a company can’t back them up with tangible benefits to improve employees’ lives, they’ll miss out on talent. “The next generation is very comfortable advocating for their needs,” says 32-year-old Juan Franco,an associate director of operations working in higher education. “And if a company is not adapting to their needs, they can’t expect to keep that employee happy.”
Masterson agrees: “Obviously, culture is cool, but at the end of the day, we all need to survive.”
