Generation Z in the modern workplace: mental health and well-being matter

By Emma Becker

‍Emma Becker is a psychologist and professional counselor. She specializes in mindfulness-based interventions and stress management techniques. Her main goal is to guide people towards greater self-awareness and resilience.

‍

‍

Heads-up, all employers and HR managers!

It’s time to prepare your workplace for next-gen professionals. They bear various names: Gen Z, a shorter form of Generation Z, Centennials, or the Zoomer generation. They are the youngest divers into the working world. Quite soon, by 2030 already, they will comprise 30% of the workforce, trailing just behind Millennials.

While stepping into the job market, Gen Z-ers have a unique set of priorities, rather different from those of other employee generations. Mental health comes first (28%), and physical health comes second (19%) for them. Everything else comes after. For comparison, Generation X values career stability and financial security the most.

Why is that so, and how can you support Gen Z employees’ well-being in the workplace? What employee wellness initiatives should you conjure up specifically for your Gen Z workforce?

This article walks you from the whys” to the “hows.”

Understanding Gen Z workforce and their pursuit for physical and mental wellness

Let’s understand Gen Z employees and their values revolving around health-consciousness.

Self-care

Generation Z leads the movement where self-care is the new normal.

It may include:

• Skincare
• Healthy dietary regimens
• Mindfulness exercises like journaling
• Reading
• Spa
• Gym workouts, etc.

For instance, 66% of Zoomers prefer to use fitness trackers or similar apps to monitor their health and wellness in the workplace or at home.

Work/life balance

Just like Millennials, Gen Z-ers are on the constant lookout for work-life balance. According to Deloitte, it remains the major concern in 2024 (the same as in 2023) when choosing an employer for both generations.

As if balancing on a tightrope, Gen Z employees seek harmony between personal and professional time proportions when entering the workplace. They may even switch jobs and choose the one that offers more flexibility to achieve a maximum balance.

Stress management

In today’s fast-paced world, Gen Z workers face numerous stressors. Some of those are:

• Student debt
• Economic instability
• Career entry and the imposter syndrome
• Digital overload (a frequent cause of employee burnout)
• Mental health stigma and inadequate support in traditional workplaces
• Societal issues, etc.

Under these circumstances, 42% of Zoomers experience depression and the feeling of hopelessness. That’s why they expect assistance from employers to help them manage stress levels in the workplace.

Inclusion

Worried about the feeling of loneliness that worsens their mental health and well-being, Gen Z employees want to experience a sense of belonging and inclusion at work.

In fact, 83% of Gen-Z candidates would like to review an employer’s diversity and inclusion program before accepting a job offer.

Digital detoxing

At this point, you may argue that Zoomers are “digital natives,” also called “iGeneration.” They have an inborn knack for using technology day and night as fish for swimming in water.

That’s a fair point.

Yet, more and more Gen Z-ers also believe digitalization imposes dangerous risks (e.g., cognitive overload from too much screen time) to their mental health in the workplace. That’s why they regard “digital detoxes” as the best way to unplug from work gadgets and online tools and enjoy the true “taste” of offline life.

How to support Gen Z employee’s well-being in the workplace 

Provide more healthcare benefits

Let’s see… A couple of paid holidays and sick days…

Is that all?

If these are the only workplace perks you offer in your employee benefits package, hurry up and revisit them. Here’s why: nearly one-third of Gen Z workers (32%) expect free mental health benefits from employers.

These can be:

• Self-care days
• Employee assistance programs (EAPs)
• Access to mental health apps like Moodfit, BetterHelp Therapy, or Headspace
• Quiet rooms or relaxation spaces
• Stress management courses or workshops
• Health-related insurance

According to Dr. Mo Ziaei, Cornea & Vision Correction Specialist at Re:Vision, one of the most widespread insurance programs is what he calls an “insurance triad”. It is medical, dental, and vision insurance. Yet, he says, “As they typically cover only preventive care services, it may be insufficient for Gen Z employee wellness. It would be best to develop customized coverage plans that go beyond regular checkups and satisfy individual healthcare needs, from surgeries to implants.”

For example:

Besides mental health support, Starbucks offers insurance plans with different coverage levels for workers and their families. And Gen Z-ers love it! One reveals, “Because of the coverage I have, I feel like I can actually, finally, take care of my health.”

Organize therapeutic days at work

Therapy is, undoubtedly, one of the best ways to help your Gen Z employees fight stress and relax physically and emotionally.

Here are several therapeutic day ideas to promote mental and physical wellness in the Gen Z workforce (and not only!):

• Creative art day
• Aromatherapy
• Massage therapy day
• Gratitude day
• Mindfulness and meditation day
• Digital detox day
• Pet therapy day or “Take Your Pets to Work” day

As many as 73% of people would be happy to have a dog-friendly office. For that reason, many employers allow dogs in the office.

For example:

The Warehouse Group is one of them. The company holds a “Bring Your Dog to Work Day” every last Friday of the month. Sporadic dog barks and cuddles create a positive employee experience and lift the spirits of Generation Z and other generations.

Note: If employees bring pets to work, you should design a workplace pet policy with clear-cut guidelines. Also, to prevent health issues, make sure your workers have no allergies or fear of cats, dogs, or other animals.

Create a safer workplace environment

While striving to improve Gen Z’s well-being at work, companies embrace speak-up (psychological) and physical workplace safety strategies.

Let’s see how you can likewise make your workplace safer for Generation Z.

Speaking-up or psychological safety

Do your employees, including Gen Z-ers, feel safe to voice their thoughts or discuss health problems?

“When I was a junior employee, speaking up felt risky. I was hesitant to do it,” confesses David Kinnane, Principal Speech Pathologist at Banter Speech & Language.

Today, as a team leader, Kinnane launches a four-step project to create a speak-up culture in the workplace, where everyone can feel psychologically safe to express opinions and ideas.

Physical safety

Dealing with work injury claims, Kathryn MacDonell, CEO at Trilby Misso Lawyers, remarks, “We notice the highest rate of workplace accidents and injuries among workers between 18 and 24. At the same time, the worker’s compensation rate continues to grow year-to-year, making it a very high-cost issue for employers from the financial and human resources perspective.”

MacDonell suggests implementing safety protocols and preventive measures like these to support your Gen Z workers’ physical health in the office:

• Remove potential hazards (slippery floors or poor lighting)
• Invest in ergonomic furniture
• Organize safety training at work
• Install specialized equipment (fire extinguishers, gas detectors, mirrors for blind spots, guardrails against falls)
• Provide personal protective equipment if needed (gloves, masks, goggles)
• Arm your team members with first-aid kits

Pro tip: You can also hand the safety control reins to your employees through assigned office functions like Evacuation Helper, Fire Warden, First Aider, or others.

Don’t promise a career—give freedom in learning and development (L&D).

“We’re kind of at the death of careers.”

And

“Nobody wants a career anymore…”

‍

You can come across such statements from Gen Z-ers all over the Internet. Why? Because Generation Z hunts for skills, not promotions, in a swiftly changing job market. Today, not career advancement but rather skill development is among the greatest motivators for Gen Z employees.

But more importantly, “Giving freedom of choice in shaping a personal L&D path can boost Gen Z employee’s well-being in the workplace,” says Matthew Channell, Owner of TSW Training. He recommends, “Let them decide how to spend their L&D budget, if any, and what competencies to acquire or skills to hone.”

Suppose your Gen Z team member is passionate about classical studies and wants to add Latin or Attic Greek courses to their L&D program. Never limit what it could be, and empower employees with more autonomy to pick from endless options.

For example:

One of the Dropboxers (Dropbox employees) spent the entire L&D budget on books.

‍Prevent workplace exclusion

Does every Gen Z worker feel included in your team?

For Rodger Desai, CEO of Prove, supporting Gen Z employees’ mental health in the workplace builds upon three pillars: diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). He remarks, “It’s crucial to remember that DEI is not a generational aspect. It applies not merely to Generation Z; it concerns the whole team. Every team member is a personality having a unique identity, a set of specific characteristic features. Our job as employers is to create an employee-centric culture of DEI and make sure no one feels left out.”

Desai shares the fundamentals of any DEI strategy:

• Avoid tokenism or promotion of a diverse workforce with no visible initiatives for inclusion
• Let everyone feel a member of the corporate family (e.g., employees at Prove are proud “Provers”—members of the Prove family)
• Encourage workers to tell their stories
• Promote equity and equality in the workplace
• Celebrate culturally diverse holidays (e.g., Kwanzaa, Diwali, Lunar New Year, Oktoberfest)

For example:

While celebrating Pride Month, Prove supports LGBTQIA+ rights and shares diverse stories from Provers who belong to the community.

Ensure a stress-free transition to a hybrid or in-office workplace.

Since most companies are returning to work in offices, they’re trying to develop a smoother transition roadmap. A full back-to-office policy may be stressful and burdensome for employees, especially the youngest staffers who value emotional and physical comfort.

Understanding this, some first turn to a hybrid mode for a less painful comeback. For instance, Adobe, Microsoft, and Vodafone require workers to return to offices only two to three days a week. Generally, 66% of employees say their mental health improves after embracing flexible work schedules thanks to a hybrid environment.

Yet, even with flexibility like that, you may fail to hit your Gen Z employees’ wellness target. David Speedy, General Manager at Workspace Direct, believes your back-to-office checklist should go beyond flexible hours. He notes, “Every detail plays a critical role when bringing employees back into the office. When you prepare for a partial or total comeback, take into account such aspects as ergonomic furniture, quiet pods/booths, and stress-reduction zones for Gen Z’s physical and psychological well-being. Besides, don’t forget about a technological setup for smooth collaboration within your hybrid or in-office team.”

You may want to try week planning software like deskbird. It has desk booking and room reservation features, so your team members can return to the office more smoothly and collaborate more effectively.

Prioritize workplace well-being, empower Gen Z

You have everything it takes to meet the expectations of your most health-conscious workforce: demands, strategies, and tools to enhance your Gen Z employees’ well-being at work.

You can’t delay it any longer. With deskbird, you can build a healthy work setting and tap into productive and balanced office management.

‍Book a free demo of the deskbird app and explore more features for hybrid and in-person teams.

A healthier workplace → a happier team → a stronger business.