Work habits in others that I find...offensive?

I am what would be considered a Gen x'er. I work in an environment where the generational gap and differences in work ethic and expectations are miles apart.

I try very hard to be flexible and open-minded when it comes to the gaping differences between the firm's generational gaps...but there are a few things that the Y's/Millennials do that I just do not understand...and frankly, is quite off-putting to me .... in the workplace (this certainly is not an attack on the kids in general)

- The seemingly unwillingness to do what it takes (without babysitting. ie, sup's observations and direction) to get the job done.
-The 9 to 5 with a one hour+ lunch work mentality
-The taking vacation time for a week to 10 days as soon as the 90 day probationary period is completed
- the scheduling of multiple doctor appts and time off the second health coverage kicks in
- the apathy and laziness
- the sense of entitlement
- the lack of proactive behavior
- the selfishness
- the self absorption
- lack of teamwork
- the total disregard and lack of respect for sups
- no real commitment to others
- the sense if superiority
- the lack of interest
- lack of direction
- the hand holding required

Perhaps I am just getting "old"...I try to understand and be flexible. I have read studies and papers discussing some of the reasons why these behaviors exist; however, I still find it offensive at times. Especially in this horrible economy.

Any thoughts?

When I see the younger generation behaving badly, like many of your examples, I blame the parents. I see so many examples of our generation letting the kids do whatever they want, bail them out and blame anyone else for the way things turn out. Lazy parents who don't hold the kids accountable, because it is easier to buy off the whiney kid. Parenting is one of the hardest jobs I've ever had...

It seems like society in general wants to blame everything on others and take zero responsibility for their own actions...

Thanks for your input...but I am not quite sure I understand what you mean...do you mean "me" personally as in "blaming".

Sadly, I do not have children, but I feel certain that if I did, I would try to instill the same work ethics and appreciation for being a productive human being...same ethics that were instilled in me (yes, my family sucked in a lot of ways, but when it came to that area, there was a lot of value and emphasis placed on it).

Frankly, I dont want to "parent" these kids. Although, it seems necessary now in terms of managing. It feels like twice the work And some times, I can't help myself but to think, "I cannot believe you said/did that!!"

R

No! I did not mean you
I was agreeing with you and speaking in general on the subject

Oh gotcha. My post actually reminded me of my grandparents complaining about the Boomer generation. Lol!

"Oh I had to walk 12 miles in the snow ... all uphill...with no shoes...etc etc"

Did you ever watch Monty Python? They had funny "Grumpy Old Men" skits

I have to check that out...I am ALWAYS up for a good laugh
Thanks!!

One of the lines is "I used to live in a shoe box in the middle of the road..." The next guy says "Awe... You were lucky to have a shoe box!"

Hah! I like it already

Work habits are not learned from parents. Social influences come from the school systems the children attend. The social media ideas they are fed on a daily basis, the images portrayed by influential role models in public life, as well as lessons learned from the working world when parents come home from work with stories of what stresses they have or what behaviours brought them success. This generation has had more outside influence than generations before them. They have grown up with more OUTSIDE influences rather than ONLY the parents. So consider that for a while.

((((Nicks)))) Thank you for the input. I truly am seeking input ... I want to be a better manager. I want to understand but it's so hard to not get frustrated sometimes.

I see how technology has a huge impact on how things work, as well. In my personal life, my god children, nieces and nephews will sit there texting at the same time they are having a conversation with us

I remember a while back I posted on PC after I got back from lunch with a few of the designers. I was a little confused during our lunchtime. I NEVER take a lunch so getting out was a treat.

The girls, though, was super quiet during the meal, head down. I didn't understand why no convo.

When I got back to the office, I realized that all three of my co-workers were texting throughout the entire lunch including posting photos of our FOOD (which showed up on FB).

They get the work done. They are talented. They just don't seem to have any ambition or have anything invested in the workplace.

Advertising has been all over the place and I don't mean just typical advertising like "by this product" but also promotion of lifestyles by health professionals, social media, etc. You watch health programs and everything is about relaxing and beating stress. Balancing demands of work life and personal life. When they hear of people being so stressed in the work force, who wouldn't rather go to zumba classes or see the latest movie. People are being told everywhere to balance work and life....young people are hearing this. They are still experiencing independence for the first time and a sense of "I have control of my life" for the first time. Why wouldn't they take advantage of that and feel empowered? Which one of the older crowd hasn't looked back at youth and wished we could have a taste of it again? The optimism, the hormones and lust for life...it is all part of the package of that age group. As the years progress and they begin to stick to one person or find a path they want to reach or have children, etc...they start to become more serious as the years go by and before you know it...they are just like us wondering why the young ones have no ambition.

Nicks, that is a good point. I can understand why they wouldn't want to be me...

back in the 90's, I was acting as a lead engineer on a project I was on & we got an engineer fresh out of college......all the older guy were getting rather frustrated with him because even though he was extremely intelligent, he seemed lazy.......until I worked with him a little bit & gave him ownership of an area of the project that he was then responsible for. I remembered how that had made me feel as a fresh out engineer & applied it to him along with showing him the ropes & what all was expected with the overall picture of the project. Everyone ended up being very pleased with his work.

I was always the workaholic because I enjoyed my work along with it being a wonderful escape from a bad marriage.....but the social life at the company was great also....we had a racquettball club & a ballroom dancing club that we all got together for at lunch times. It wasn't a small engineering company, but it wasn't huge either.....but working & socializing together made for a much better environment & everyone seemed very enthusiastic to accomplish their work & when our project was actually implemented & was importantly functional in the for the military successes, it made the feeling of accomplishment even greater as part of a large team......think the work environment is also a large key in the attitude success.....problem now is that companies don't seem to value their employees as much as they used to & I think it makes the employees less willing to give their all to a company who will let them go at a moment's notice.....loyalty toward valuing the employee has changed & so has the employee's willingness to give himself to the company.

Sounds like you might have to put a seniority restriction of things lke that starting with the highest down to the lowest & if the higher ones don't want, then it leaves of open for the newer employees especially since they this is not the first time they have shown themselves to be a bunch of vultures. As manager, you & the higher up managers can set up any policies that seem appropriate given the overall situation you are dealing with.....you don't even have to say anything except to distribute your new policy so that it's available to everyone & there are NO questions.

As a Recruiter for over 10 years in several different industries, including medical, I see things from a very different point of view.

First, I think that companies in the past cared more for their employees and valued retention. Companies had better benefits which gave employees the feeling that the employer cared whether they stayed or left.

Most companies these days have very little loyalty incentive, hence you see newer generations return that general attitude.

What is more perplexing to me is why some co-workers get annoyed when others use what little benefits they are offered, like vacation and medical insurance.

A "get the job done" attitude is great, but these days, many employers are already asking their workforce to do "more with less" but giving little incentive for employees to do so.

Meanwhile, I see new reports of multi-million dollar bonuses for executives who slash 100s or 1000s of lower level jobs.

Eskie, that is quite fair. HOWEVER, wth? were the kids raised to be selfish, self absorbed vultures not thinking of anyone but themselves, because that is a perfect example of a total work ethic that I was referring to: en toto. Do we not learn manners and to think of others at home and bring that to our workplace?

I didn't know it was part of my job to also provide the "Miss Manners Handbook for the Work Place: Millennial Version"

It's my call actually. The policy hereonin, there are only enough for what is strictly needed in the office. No more extras will be provided.

Man#1: Aye, in them days we was glad to have the price of a cup of tea!
Man#2: Aye, a cup of cold tea!
Man#4: Without milk or sugar!
Man#3: Or tea!
Man#1: Aye, in a cracked cup and all!
Man#4: Oh, we never had a cup. We used to have to drink out of a rolled-up newspaper!
Man#2: Aye, the best we could manage in those days was to suck on a piece of damp cloth!
Man#3: Aye, but we were happy in those days, though we were poor.
Man#1: Because we were poor! My old dad used to say to me: Money doesn't buy you happiness!
Man#4: Aye, he was right, I was happier then and I had nothing. We used to live in this tiny old house with great big holes in the roof.
Man#2: House! You were lucky to live in a house! We had to all live in one room, all twenty-six of us, no furniture, half the floor was missing, and were all huddled together in a corner for fear of falling!
Man#3: You were lucky to have a room! We used to 'ave to live in a corridor!
Man#4: Right. I had to get up at ten o'clock at night, half an hourbefore I went to bed, drink a cup of sulphuric acid, work twenty-nine hours a day down at the mill and pay the mill owner for permission to come to work...
Man#1: Aye, and you try telling young people of today that. And they won't believe you.
Man#4: Aye, they won't!

Itis more often the work environment that develops the self centred attitudes that we see in people at the work place. The work environment is competitive and each person for themselves is heavily felt in work environments. Stop referring to parenting patterns. I have been polite, courteous, highly ethical and supportive of those above me, below me and worked as a team member, and i am no further ahead in the working world than those who aimed for themselves, set goals and sought to achieve them no matter what. We often look at these people as being self centred, selfish, greedy or what-not....but the end result is usually further advancement than people like myself who follow all the rules and be a good employee. The culture of our corporate society does not encourage morality, ethics, and team....it teaches law to protect your own butt, political correctness to become two faced, and how to manipulate a group of people to acheive something for the company at all cost to the people.

I hear you ((((Nicks)))) It is really cut-throat out there. I have worked in environments like that and it is horrible. Very destructive.

Thankfully, our firm puts the emphasis on team...there is no way around it. We are a creative environment so it's essential that we are team-oriented and collaborative. There is no competition here at the office.

We don't really put the emphasis on titles, either. Although, there is that wide gap between the Xers and the Millennials It's so funny when I think about how "old" I seem to them

I cannot speak to parenting because I am not a parent. But I do understand what you are saying.

In this day and age, it's hard to stay true to yourself when you are surrounded by a bunch of wolves. In a lot of firms, it's eat or be eaten.

That is wonderful to hear, Rose. It is nice to know that some companies still see value in employee welfare.

Sadly this is all very true.

The Ms have been with the firm for less than 4 months, have taken at least one week of vacay and are now putting in their ooo for 2 weeks over the holidays

Nothing wrong with desiring a better work-life balance. Of course, I was born in the eighties and think people who sacrifice themselves for a job, that more often times than not is not meaningful, interesting and only makes a difference to the bank accounts of the guys making the "big bucks" are losers.

Many of you are urban slaves.

I'm no better. I work to get a pay check so I can enjoy life outside the office. Work is a means to an end. The type of work most do in offices is just a necessary evil in a capitalist world. It functions but it does not matter more than that so, why do more than function, pay your time and take the money and run? You won't see me staying overtime and yes, if I can, I absolutely will come in a bit later and leave a bit earlier.

And some would say, you'll never "succeed" like that but, to those I ask, "what is success?" Being the one with the 80 hour work week and bigger pay check? Buying and selling junk to the plastic junkies?

Let it go.

I'm rich. I live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, have food, clean water, health care, personal freedoms, shelter and many conveniences, why do I need more stuff?

I'll be watching that clock because when I step outside the office, that's the world that matters.

It's not just at work, it permeates all aspects of our society ... People seem to be more selfish and self absorbed these days with little consideration about how their behavior is impacting those around them ...

This doesn't just apply to the younger generation though ... They simply model the behaviors of the adults and leaders around them ...

So perhaps it's ourselves and the messages we're sending that we need to be offended at instead ...