Millennials entering the workforce are pushing for a better work-life balance, exemplified by the new 'right to disconnect' law. While some see this as laziness, it's a response to a changing world. Millennials value personal fulfilment and may not prioritise traditional career paths. Similar to the Nordic model, with a focus on well-being and passion-driven careers as a successful approach, employers and employees should find common ground to create a workplace culture that works for everyone.

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Millennials entering the workforce are pushing for a better work-life balance, exemplified by the new 'right to disconnect' law. While some see this as laziness, it's a response to a changing world. Millennials value personal fulfilment and may not prioritise traditional career paths. Similar to the Nordic model, with a focus on well-being and passion-driven careers as a successful approach, employers and employees should find common ground to create a workplace culture that works for everyone.

The Right to Disconnect: A Sign of Changing Times

The start of 2024 has seen a flurry of labour-related legislation making its way through Federal Parliament in Canberra, including a new ‘right to disconnect’ law brokered by the Greens. This second tranche of Federal Government industrial relations reform was passed in the first week of February, giving workers the right to ignore out-of-hours calls and emails, without being penalised. While many workers have welcomed this new ‘right to disconnect’, some employers warn that it will undermine the flexibility that has allowed them to make convenient work arrangements with employees. As with any changes in the workplace, it is worthwhile to step aside from such polarising arguments to look for the deeper, longer-term trends that are driving change, including the en masse arrival of Millennials in the workforce.

Millennials vs. Gen X and Boomers: The Clash of Work Values

The Millennials - a marketing term used to describe the cohort of children born between 1980 and 1995 - started to arrive in the workplace in the year 2000. As their numbers have increased during the past decade, so has the impact of their values - and pushback from their predecessors. In fact, there’s no easier way to fire up a backyard barbeque conversation than to raise the topic of the Millennial work ethic – or as Gen X'ers and Boomers see it, the lack thereof! ‘The entitled Millennials’, they complain, ‘don’t really want to work unless they are getting paid for it’.

Despite the heat generated by these grievances, they do invite a question: Are Millennials really out to left field on things such as not being a slave to your phone or not being called out of hours. When discussing this question, it’s important to recognise that the world has changed. Many Boomers had parents with only one job or career throughout their work lives. Although they had it drilled into their heads to get a job and be loyal to the employer, the Boomers and Xer generations, on average, have had two or three different careers.

Redefining Success: It's Not All About the Hours You Put In

The millennial generation may not have a traditional career path. Instead, they may work a series of successive or multiple jobs simultaneously. This different approach to work doesn't necessarily mean they have a bad attitude towards it. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Millennials believe that they should be paid for the work they actually do, rather than just putting in hours from nine to five. They value expanding their minds and investing time in family and relationships outside work hours. To them, it's about being loyal to what's truly important.

The Nordic Model: A Focus on Well-Being Over Hustle

In Nordic countries, career and life aren't driven by striving for someone else's notion of success. Instead, they have the freedom to pursue careers that reflect their passions, leading to a greater sense of security in employment, health and education. This approach allows people to invest emotionally in essential aspects like family, friends and fun, leading to a higher quality of life. Research shows that this model has been successful in promoting overall well-being and benefiting both individuals and society at large.

It is about doing what interests you so you can lead a longer and healthier life and not get stuck in a career rut.

Finding Common Ground: Building a Workplace Culture for Everyone

At Career Crossroads International, we are less interested in taking sides than in recognising how each new generation contributes its own insights and values to reshape the workplace. We are committed to assisting both employers and employees in finding and building workplace cultures in which everyone can succeed. That starts with such discussions about work values.

Embracing Disconnection: Can We All Learn from the Millennials?

Although I’m no Millennial, in late 2023 I took a leap and spent three weeks offline, achieving a personal milestone of trekking to Everest Base Camp. During the long days of one foot in front of the other I had time to decompress and among the things I discovered about myself is that the business can survive quite well without me. Maybe there is something to take away from the millennials approach to work and career...Anyone up for Machu Picchu in 2024?