Millennials Could Be Responsible for the Changes in the Workplace

Although this principle is nothing new, many of these opinions have sound logic behind them. The workplace is changing more quickly and dramatically now than it ever has before. Rules and regulations are blurring as a result of changes that render them irrelevant. Upon the dawn of what many refer to as “The Fourth Industrial Revolution,” meetings are being held online from thousands of miles away, employees are regularly working from home, and dress codes are being lifted.  

Many of the changes in the average workplace make sense because of new technology that gives us added convenience and a greater variety of options for how we can go about the day. Some other logical changes at work can be attributed to the number of hours we spend at the workplace—both of which are tied to Millennials, whether fairly or unfairly. Most of us are working over 2000 hours in a year, clocking in at 50 percent of our waking hours during the week. If we are spending this amount of time at our places of employment, shouldn’t we be able to be comfortable? While Millennials may have pushed this, wearing jeans at work is a resonable request that benefits all employees. One would think that a higher level of comfort would lead to a higher quality of life, and therefore, increased productivity at work. Wearing jeans on days that we don’t have client meetings surely isn’t hurting or offending anyone. Personally, I spent over 2,400 hours at work in 2016, and adding this level of comfort surely would have been welcome. However, like many places, my employer expressed an overall unwillingness to change. 

Full disclosure, I was laid off from the aforementioned employer earlier this year. With nearly half of their staff being laid off since November, including some of my favorite executives, I knew I was fortunate to still be around once spring came and went. Sooner or later, with companies that are unwilling to change and adapt, these layoffs become commonplace. Practicing negative reinforcement rather than positive reinforcement becomes universal in these environments. Places that offer little to no benefits are slow to give bonuses during the good times but quick to cut jobs during the bad. Because we spend so much time at work, Millennials understand that we should be treated well and won’t hesitate to find an employer that will do so if the current one refuses. While members of Generation Y are actually only changing jobs slightly more than previous generations, this attitude of enjoying your work is relatively new.

Employers are responding to this attitude, and the most successful companies became successful because they chose to care about their employees. Staying open to change is vital in today’s business environment. If we look at a list of current Fortune 100 companies, nearly all of them are going to be on a list of most innovative companies as well. When it comes down to it, the technological advances and new practices that we find evolving in the workplace are good for the bottom line. Even the most experienced executive in the firm couldn’t imagine going back to doing things the way they were. While Millennials might urge the use of newer technology in the workplace, these advances have been happening since before anyone in my generation was born. Nobody is going to be keen to change at first, but the reason for changes is ultimately to make people happier. After all, if you’re spending so much time at work, shouldn’t you enjoy it?