A Gen Z employee has set off a debate on work-life balance after telling their boss that they couldn’t attend an 8:00 am meeting because they had a ‘workout class.’
The hosts of the podcast Demoted, Natalie Marie and Ross Pomerantz, shared their reaction to an email received from a listener on the reaction of the Gen Z employer.
The employee argued that the meeting conflicted with their ‘workout class.’ The hosts’ response to the email started a fiery conversation as people on the web argued about work-life balance.
In the email, the listener asked whether it should be ‘allowed’ for their ‘Gen Z new hire’ to refuse to show up to an early morning meeting because they had a workout class. Natalie then chimed in with her own reaction. She said: “You just started this job. I don’t give a flying s*** about your workout class.
“Also an 8 a.m. workout class is too late. Work out at six, maybe seven.’ Meanwhile, Ross noted that the employee’s response made him ‘angry.”
He said: “My visceral reaction was are you f***ing kidding me? My hand’s shaking, and it’s not from the caffeine.”
Both hosts of the podcast noted that while mental health was important, ‘personal time’ should not interfere with work.
The debate began when a now-deleted clip of the podcast hosts discussing the topic went viral.
A Gen Z TikTok creator added a spark to the subject when he put himself in the shoes of the employee and questioned if his denial to attend meetings outside of his work hours should be something he was reprimanded for.
In the comment session, some people believe that personal time should not interfere with work, while others argue that employees should be allowed to prioritize their health and mental well-being.
