15 Outdated Office Rules Younger Workers Won’t Follow
Business offices typically have rules they expect their workers to follow. There has been little change to what’s expected of employees, and workers have traditionally complied with these policies.
Organizations have begun to notice a shift in staff perspectives, especially the younger workforce members.
Millennials and Generation Z have ideas about what the companies they work for should be like. They reject what they believe are outdated rules and are forging new pathways. Do you think the old guard is correct, or do the young workers have a point?
1. Office Only Work
A Pew Research Center study found that before the global health crisis, only 7% of remote workers worked remotely all the time. Generally speaking, employees were expected to be in the office at least five days a week.
Since then, 35% of people with remote jobs work remotely all the time, spending no time in the office. Younger workers, in particular, have driven this shift because they prefer flexible working schedules, including remote and hybrid work.
2. No Gold Watches
It used to be a badge of honor for an employee to stay with the same company for decades. The goal was for them to retire with a gold watch gifted to them by the organization in recognition of their long service.
Now, staying with the same company for years is viewed as a sign of a lack of imagination and ambition. Younger workers don’t mind switching companies to find one that challenges them or is a better fit.
3. Ignoring Mental Health
Talking about mental health issues and how they impact workers used to be a taboo subject. Mental health was something one dealt with at home and among one’s family. There was no place for discussion about it at work.
Today’s younger workers understand how mental health affects work and vice versa. They’re very open about their mental health and their efforts to encourage workplaces to be more supportive of on-the-job mental health initiatives.
4. Staying Quiet
Workers from earlier generations believed in putting the business’s needs before their wants, so they hesitated to speak up unless they were specifically asked to. Speaking up would come across as self-serving and opportunistic.
Younger workers aren’t afraid to express themselves, especially when advancing their careers. Companies may have difficulty adjusting to this bold approach, but at least they know where their workers come from.
5. Old or No Technology
Millennials and Generation Z not only love their tech, they thrive on it in the workplace. Their tech savviness at home extends to their jobs, and they expect their workplaces to embrace the most up-to-date technologies.
Organizations that continue to use decades-old technologies risk not attracting or retaining quality younger workers. Macintosh computers were the rage in 1984, but not so much in 2024.
6. Dismissing Employee Feedback
Feedback in the workplace used to be a one-way street. Managers gave feedback to their personnel, but employee feedback was either unasked for or outright ignored. Workers had little ability to effect change.
The younger workforce members want a say in how their companies operate. They believe this motivates workers, gives them a sense of being invested in the company, and makes them feel heard.
7. Antiquated Communications
Emails, phone calls, and interoffice memos have been the standard modes of communication within the office for decades. At least, they are for certain generations of workers.
Younger workers embrace more modern methods of communicating with their coworkers. They prefer video calls, collaborative messaging apps, and instant messaging.
8. Yearly Evaluations
One of the most dreaded workplace rituals is the yearly performance evaluation, when managers sit down and assess employee performance over the previous year. They either praise the work that was done or establish a performance improvement plan.
The preferred approach in place of annual performance reviews is for employees to receive regular feedback on their work throughout the year. This improves communication and identifies areas of strength and improvement more timely.
9. Hierarchies
Corporations typically operate on a hierarchy, with employees representing different levels of staff and management. This is evident in any business organizational chart.
That tradition is being upended by a more egalitarian approach that encourages worker collaboration and communication. Instead of the usual boss-subordinate structure, everyone operates on similar levels.
10. The Paper Chase
Before desktops, laptops, and tablets became invaluable tools around the office, most documentation had a physical paper trail. Such documents were stored in file cabinets for ease of access and identification.
Downloadable digital versions have replaced paper documents, and the office filing cabinet has been exchanged for secure cloud storage. This is what younger workers are accustomed to and expect at work.
11. Rigid Dress Codes
It wasn’t too long ago when offices had strict dress codes for their staffers. Depending on where you worked and what position you held, you either had to wear formal business attire or you could wear business casual clothes.
In recent years, younger office workers have traded strict dress codes for more relaxed attire, emphasizing comfort over formality. This should be fine if they don’t show up for work in pajamas or sweatsuits.
12. Working for a Paycheck
Everyone in the workforce wants to get paid. Some may love their jobs, but no one is working for free. It’s safe to say that there is a contingent of older workers who don’t necessarily like their jobs but stay put because of the money and benefits.
In all fairness, some younger workers are also in their careers not because of some higher calling but because they need the income to survive. Some younger employees want their work to have meaning and to make a difference.
13. A Lack of Diversity
In the Mad Men era of business, workplaces lacked diversity. Women were secretaries, and men held positions of power. Fewer people of color were in those spaces unless they worked in the cleaning crews.
Contemporary workers have an awareness of and an appreciation for diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI. They understand the value of having a diverse workforce and know that the letters DEI represent a good thing.
14. The Job Comes First
Employees from earlier generations prioritize their work so much that the balance between work and home life is definitively skewed toward work. Work is their life, and they live it to work.
Newer and younger job seekers prioritize schedules that allow them to complete a full day of work while respecting that they have lives outside the job. Their work is important, but it’s not what they live for.
15. Close Monitoring
Being closely supervised is part and parcel of working in an office environment where productivity is the goal. Older workers are accustomed to having their activities monitored.
Younger workers value the ability to work more independently and see it as a motivator. They believe this fosters confidence and creativity and increases work output.
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