Young people are often suspected of behaving poorly in the workplace. However, it is not Gen Z or Millennials that are the problem, but the work culture modeled by management. When toxic behavior is rewarded by the boss, employees tend to adopt that behavior.
Meanwhile, many employees have returned to the office and are confronted with new issues: intrigue, blame, and sabotage among colleagues.
According to a survey by Resume Now, Generation Z and Millennials are particularly often suspected of being responsible for these problems or are at least frequently perceived as individuals with negative behavior.
Many admit that the problem is not the young people, but the toxic work culture modeled by management. And this is a problem that transcends all age groups.
Toxic behavior is deeply rooted in the work culture
These are the accusations: In the survey by Resume Now, a job search platform, employees were asked about their own behavior and that of their colleagues in the workplace. Especially young people from Generation Z and Millennials are often perceived as the individuals responsible for workplace sabotage:
Generation Z (17%) and Millennials (18%) are perceived more as individuals exhibiting this behavior compared to Generation X (8%) and Baby Boomers (9%).
Although some generations are more suspected than others of shifting blame onto others, almost half of employees (49%) believe that this problem exists across all age groups.
What is behind the problem? The problem lies primarily in the work culture modeled by management. When leadership heavily emphasizes control, hierarchy, presence, and competition, younger employees are more quickly seen as “difficult” or “not resilient.” In a climate of uncertainty, pressure to perform, and competition, people tend to prioritize self-protection over cooperation and mutual support (via personalwirtschaft.de).
This is also reflected in the accusation that one in four employees states that their supervisor has put them in a situation where they had to fail.
Management shapes what is considered “normal” in a company: When competition, safeguarding, and blame-shifting are rewarded at the top, employees often carry these behaviors downwards. This is especially true when one’s own job is threatened by mass layoffs: Becker’s Hospital Review stated, for example, that rude behavior in the workplace has significantly increased (by 21% in the first quarter of 2025).
And generational researcher Klaus Hurrelmann stated to Handelsblatt (possibly paywall) that a large part of Gen Z is just as motivated to work as older generations. However, young people consciously resist hierarchical structures and do not want work conditions dictated by their superiors.
Young people seek strange places to relax and find rest. An expert says this has little to do with laziness, but is a natural protective reflex of the body. You can read more about this on MeinMMO: Generation Z cannot tolerate the 9 to 5 workday and solves its problem in bizarre ways
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!