Gen Z would rather quit their jobs than endure workplace pressure

Recently, when mentioning Gen Z, many people think that this is the "snowflake generation". This concept appeared in the Oxford Dictionary in 2018, referring to people who are sensitive, vulnerable, and easily agitated by the attitudes of others. Is not being able to withstand pressure at work one of those manifestations?

The boss just scolded and I quit.

Even though she graduated early, it has been nearly 3 years since Dang Tuyet Mai (born in 2000, Phu Tho) still has not had a stable job. Some people only work for 1-2 agencies their entire lives, but Mai has changed jobs 6 times in a short period of time.

Except for the one time when the company went bankrupt and had to close, Mai quit her job for the same reason the other 5 times: her boss scolded her. As the youngest child in the family, Mai had never been scolded by anyone since she was a child. Scolding and harsh words rarely appeared in this girl's life.

Mai said she can endure hard manual labor, can work overtime, can "take on" more work than the assigned KPI, but the only thing that makes her encounter a barrier at work is not being able to withstand mental pressure.

"Being scolded by my boss makes me extremely uncomfortable," she said, adding that there were days when just 1-2 shouts from her boss made Mai so angry she couldn't eat.

At times like this, regardless of whether the argument was reasonable or unreasonable, Mai did not argue back. Instead, she quietly submitted her resignation. Mai believed that scolding an employee, no matter the reason, was unacceptable.

Every time she intended to apply, Mai was advised by her colleagues to be patient and get used to it gradually because bosses are the same everywhere, there will be times when they speak harshly and loudly. But despite everyone's advice, Mai was still determined to quit.

"You are still young, there are many job opportunities ahead. If you don't work here, you will work somewhere else. If you go to work in an uncomfortable mood, you won't be able to do the job," Mai said.

Not getting along with colleagues also quit job

Unlike Mai, Tran Thu Uyen (born in 1999, Hai Phong) "jumped" jobs continuously because she couldn't get along with her colleagues.

Uyen said: "A year ago, I worked at a law firm. The only people in the company were me and another generation Z, the rest were people in their 40s and 50s. From the way I worked to my daily life, I felt like I couldn't get along with everyone. Every day I went to work, I felt tired and lost." But that wasn't the biggest reason why Uyen quit her job.

Every day at work, Uyen was "scrutinized" for what she wore. If she wore simple clothes, she was criticized for being sloppy. If she wore nice clothes, she was reminded that "the workplace is not a fashion runway". Even when Uyen was "scrutinized" for what she wore to work, whether she had a boyfriend... These things made Uyen feel suffocated. After less than 3 months, Uyen quit her job even though it was a good environment for her to practice her skills.

The second time, Uyen quit her job because the working environment was too competitive. "Colleagues treated each other as rivals, always fighting for customers to meet KPIs", under the pressure of colleagues hating and even gossiping about each other, Uyen felt tired, unable to talk or share with anyone.

The third time, because her co-workers were too quiet, Uyen got bored and quit her job. Uyen said that when she went to work, no one said a word to each other, the company was quiet all day. No one cared about her presence at the company. Uyen would rather quit than feel depressed when going to work.

"Job-hopping" continuously but Uyen still could not find a satisfactory environment. No matter which company she moved to, Uyen encountered a common problem: her colleagues made her uncomfortable.

Mai and Uyen's story is the story of many young people who are currently struggling to find a suitable job. The reason why they constantly "jump" jobs is not necessarily due to their level of expertise or knowledge, but rather the problem lies in their "dissatisfaction" with the workplace culture.

Mr. Kyle Nguyen (Director of 5.0 Media Company) said that he has met many Gen Z employees, most of whom are able to withstand pressure due to large workloads, but few are willing to work in a toxic environment. Young people today prioritize their own emotions, not only respecting them but also pampering them.

Therefore, many people aim for jobs that not only meet their professional and income requirements but also meet their healthy environment. According to Kyle Nguyen, this is a bright spot that can help the younger generation become more confident when they have the right to find a good and suitable job instead of being patient and working just to get a salary.

"However, overindulging your emotions can become your weakness at any time. It is very difficult to find a satisfactory job where everything goes your way. In any working environment, there are positive and negative points. If you do not know how to balance your emotions to adapt and keep chasing after your own emotions, you will easily lose many opportunities," said Kyle Nguyen.

According to MSc. Nguyen Anh Khoa, lecturer in Psychology, the fact that Gen Z is vulnerable to problems at work can also be a manifestation of psychological instability.

"Just like our bodies, our minds also need to be cared for every day," said MSc. Khoa. Two essential activities that can help Gen Z nurture their mental health are exercise and a balanced diet. Although these are not complicated activities, they can be highly effective.

Gen Z should equip themselves with good mental health to easily integrate into different living and working environments because instead of avoiding them by giving up or running away, facing and adapting is the wisest way.