Gen Z Aren’t Lazy | They’re Adapting to a Broken System | It's All Relative | Dr Eliza Filby

Gen Z, AI, the future of work, hybrid working, graduate jobs and career advice. Why has an entire generation been labelled lazy when the real story is that work itself has fundamentally changed?Every time I speak to senior leaders, the same questions come up.Why won't Gen Z come into the office?Why don't they stay in jobs?Why are they so obsessed with work-life balance?The assumption is always that the problem is Gen Z.I think the problem is work.For years, we've talked about younger generations as though they're uniquely entitled or unusually demanding. But if you step back and look at the world they've inherited, a different picture emerges.They entered the workplace during a global pandemic. Their first experience of work was often through a laptop screen. They watched the Great Resignation unfold, only to find themselves graduating into an economy shaped by AI, hiring freezes and rising economic uncertainty. At the same time, wages have struggled to keep pace with the soaring cost of housing, education and everyday life.So perhaps the more interesting question is why we expect them to behave as though work hasn't changed.In this episode of It's All Relative, I explore why I think we've misunderstood an entire generation.🔔 SubscribeSubscribe for weekly conversations about generations, AI, work, wealth and the social changes shaping modern life.📩 Subscribe to my SubstackEvery Friday I publish a free essay exploring the ideas behind these episodes.📚 Buy InheritocracyInheritocracy: It's Time to Talk About the Bank of Mum and Dad🌍 Find meWebsiteLinkedInInstagram