From “Slackers” to Self-Care: Why Every Generation Gets Labeled Lazy

I spend a lot of time helping organizations navigate questions of governance, culture, and values. What people often forget is that values aren’t static—they shift over time, especially across generations. That truth has been on my mind since I came across a recent Wall Street Journal piece about Generation Z and the workplace.

The article noted that only 2% of Gen Z respondents prioritized the values most desired by employers, which were achievement, learning, and sheer work drive. Instead, young people today tend to value self-care, authenticity, altruism, affluence, and aesthetics.

To many managers, this sounds alarming. To me, it sounds familiar.

Back in the 1990s, when my generation, Gen X, entered the workforce, we were branded as “Slackers.” The cultural shorthand was grunge music, coffeehouses, and films like Reality Bites, all suggesting a cohort uninterested in corporate climbing or traditional ambition. Employers worried we lacked drive, loyalty, and seriousness. The word “apathetic” got thrown around a lot.

But Gen X wasn’t the first to face this criticism. In the 1960s and ’70s, Baby Boomers entering the job market were dismissed as entitled “hippies.” They valued freedom, social change, and questioning authority. To their parents and bosses, they looked unreliable and unserious. And yet, Boomers went on to become the dominant corporate and political establishment for decades.

Gen X eventually outgrew the “Slacker” caricature too. We became pragmatic, adaptable, and (somewhat ironically) the managers worried about the next generation’s work ethic.

Now it’s Gen Z’s turn. Yes, they prioritize different values. Yes, there’s a gap between what employers want and what young workers say they care about. But history shows that every generation, when young, is accused of being lazy or uncommitted. And every generation eventually reshapes the workplace in its own image.

Boomers turned rebellion into entrepreneurial energy. Gen X turned skepticism into flexibility and tech-savvy leadership. My bet is that Gen Z will push businesses to be more focused on well-being, authenticity, and purpose.

So the question for employers isn’t: How do we find the rare 2% of Gen Z who mirror older work values? It’s: How do we evolve to meet and harness the values of the majority?

What looks like a liability in youth often becomes the source of cultural transformation. Today’s “lazy” Gen Z may well be tomorrow’s change agents.

Why this matters for organizations today

Whether you’re leading a condominium board, a nonprofit, or a growing company, you’ll face this same challenge: bridging the gap between generational expectations. The lesson isn’t to dismiss the next wave as “slackers.” It’s to understand their values, and to design governance, culture, and systems that allow those values to strengthen the organization rather than undermine it.

This is where I come in—helping clients navigate the intersection of structure, compliance, and culture so they can thrive in a changing world.