Gen Z More Likely to Take Unnecessary Sick Days Than Older Colleagues, Study Finds

Generation Z employees are nearly twice as likely to take sick days when they are not genuinely unwell, according to a recent survey. Just over 80 percent of workers under 25 reported taking a sick day in the past year when they were not too ill to work, compared to 43 percent of staff aged 55 to 64.

The survey, conducted by Merlin Strategy for the Centre for Social Justice think tank, also found that almost 40 percent of individuals under 25 admitted to calling in sick on five days when they could have worked in the past year. This contrasts with only one in ten older workers.

Contributing Factors

Among the reasons cited for taking unnecessary time off, nearly 80 percent of under-25s reported feeling "too tired" contributed to their absence. This was significantly higher than the 55-to-64 age group, where half that number cited fatigue.

Social reasons, such as a late night or hangover, also played a role for over half of workers under 25, compared to 19 percent of their older colleagues. Researchers noted that the concept of a "quarter-life crisis," characterized by increased stress, uncertainty about future opportunities, and difficulties with adult independence, may be influencing younger workers' attitudes toward work.

Broader Context

Previous research has indicated that salary is a top priority for Gen Z workers, with a 2022 job-seeker survey showing them to be more focused on compensation than career progression or personal development, unlike millennials.

Issues such as housing problems, with almost two-thirds of people in their early twenties living with their parents last year, and high unemployment rates among young people, contribute to a sense of being "locked out" of opportunities. The unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds stood at 16.2 percent in the three months to June, with almost one million young people out of work. Experts suggest that a growing number of young people are becoming economically inactive due to health-related issues such as anxiety and depression.

Despite these challenges, a report by Alan Milburn on those not in education, employment, or training (NEETs) rejected the notion that Gen Z is inherently lazy, stating instead that the generation is "different in ways that have material consequences."