Why Gen Zers are through working 9 to 5: ‘Not something I am willing to do’
Gen Z workers have been known to roll their eyes at the concept of a 9-to-5 work week, and one young Aussie has declared he can only see himself working five-hour days.
Anthony Voulgaris has amassed millions of views on TikTok by sharing his various musings and he has now captured attention by calling out 9-to-5 culture.
Voulgaris explained that he could work 9 am to 2 pm for the rest of his life, but not 9 am to 5 pm.
“It is not something I am willing to do, it is something I want to do, and it is not something I particularly plan for myself,” he explained.
The young Australian elaborated further and said he found the idea of working eight hours a day so horrifying that he wouldn’t want anyone he loved to have to work a 9-to-5 job.
“Whoever designed society, I think they designed it wrong! You know, they designed it with flaws,” he declared.
Voulgaris explained that 9 am to 2 pm would be the “perfect” amount of time to work in a single day and should be the future.
He said if he worked a five-hour day, he’d still be achieving his goals and getting fulfillment from work, but from 2 pm onwards, he’d be embracing “party” time.
Voulgaris said that if he finished at 2 pm, he’d really be able to embrace work-life balance and used the example that he could go to the beach or head home and cook a delicious dinner.
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He said he would be able to live a “beautiful” life, instead of getting stuck just trying to get through the daily grind.
He said working 9 to 5 didn’t seem like an “amazing” option because it doesn’t leave much time for anything else.
He pointed out that by the time the average worker gets home because of traffic its usually closer to 6:30 pm, which leads you directly into cooking dinner and by the time you’ve eaten, you’re hurtling towards 8 pm, which leaves people with time for “nothing” else.
He said the bland schedule wasn’t something he wanted for himself.
People in the comment section were quick to applaud Voulgaris for his five-hour working day scheme.
Someone said a shorter day would “restore” their will to live and another said a shorter working day would lead to them reaching “peak productivity” and give them a true work-life balance.
Another admitted they get “nothing” done after 3 pm anyway, and another said that working the standard 9 to 5 “wears” them down more and more each day.
One weighed in and said they didn’t hate their job but hated having no time for anything else in the 9-to-5 system, and another shared that the eight-hour workday makes them “depressed.”
Voulgaris isn’t alone in his disinterest in working 9 to 5.
A young woman went viral in 2023 for tearfully explaining how difficult she found the standard workday after completing her degree.
The younger worker, Brielle, acknowledged that she was probably being “dramatic” and “annoying” but was having difficulty adjusting to how much time work takes up.
“This is my first job after college, and it takes me forever to get there,” she vented.
Brielle explained that she couldn’t afford to live in the city, so she was stuck commuting for her job, and therefore didn’t get home until it was dark outside and the reality was tipping her over the edge.
“I don’t have time to do anything. I don’t have time or energy to work out or cook my dinner,” she said through tears.
Workplace expert Gary Fahey, who has an MBA specializing in organizational strategy and culture, said that some young people want different things from work.
“For those young people who are choosing that 9 to 5 is not for them, this often comes from a position of holding different values for themselves, and perhaps goals that are less driven by career and the benefits/consequences that come along with that,” he explained.
Fahey said workplaces are now beginning to adapt to meet the diverse needs of young people.
“I think there are a lot of adaptations within workplaces to accommodate similar needs. Workplaces have moved to a more flexible work environment that allows part-time work, work from home, and other hybrid models that may fit better into a young person’s values and view of the world.
“Of course, these too come with benefits and consequences. While one might get the option to work only 9 to 2, the trade-off might be a reduction in salary or flexibility with available workdays.”
