The Gig Generation

A Gen Z perspective on why her generation has opted out from the 9-5 grind

Older generations believed they had no choice but to “endure” the 9-5 over work-life balance. Not Gen Z.   image credit: Shutterstock

Generation Z has a new approach to career building, and it’s highly individualized. We, more than any other generation, are working from home and creating small businesses to sustain ourselves. In a survey of the age group conducted last year by Fiverr Press, researchers found 70% of us have experience with freelancing, and this proportion is growing with each passing year. I think this trend showcases my generation’s philosophies on two things – adherence to established systems and personal identity. It’s more than just an issue of not wanting to work, we don’t want to work in a way that strips us of who we are or doesn’t allow for our passions. Our priorities are often both mental and physical health, neither of which corporations or chains account for. Labor has long been portrayed as a necessary part of life in the U.S., something we do out of obligation and allow to damage us because it’s been normalized. The system allows for rampant discrimination, encourages overexertion and denies personal desires, but this generation is pushing back on that, breaking the mold of the job industry from the comfort of our tiny apartments. 

Working remotely provides personal freedom and comfort for a collective that values both highly – from visual art to writing to online sex work, we’re finding our niches and monetizing them. This freedom also comes with downsides ...

Navigating power and social dynamics in a professional setting can be stressful for anyone, especially when the job is unrewarding. For women and people of color there’s extra difficulty, with targeted dress codes, assumptions of under-qualification, inappropriate jokes and more. Not only are microaggressions often unavoidable in mixed spaces, but there’s no way to know, when entering a job, if larger offenses are coming … or if you’ll be protected when they do. At the intersection of danger for sexist and racist interactions are Black women, whose business ownership was already on the rise in 2017 before this generation aged into the workforce and has continued to increase since. Those with intersecting identities may feel this more intensely, but no minority group is spared by the current structure. 

Queer and trans employees are hindered by similar concerns to people of color; they too are often singled out by arbitrary standards for behavior and clothing, not taken seriously as candidates, interpersonally isolated. No matter how comfortable and extroverted a person is in daily life, there’s always anxiety that comes with new people, especially in professional contexts. There is, of course, the option to refrain from disclosing this information in the workplace, but that doesn’t quell the fear that someone will find out, neither does it negate the emotional difficulties of being made to repress yourself. My generation is widely anxious, regardless of identity, which is only compounded by dealing with an environment not built for you or your body.  

Also contributing to Gen Z’s affinity for remote work is the amount of us with chronic illnesses and disabilities, for whom a 9-5 is unsustainable. Traveling to and within places of employment is complex with mobility issues and consistent attendance is impossible to maintain with unpredictable flare ups. Whether it’s a need for access to emergency medication or the inability to complete physical tasks, tending to medical issues is a large factor. To the majority of us, exacerbating a condition isn’t worthwhile for the salary and expected labor, if it’s doable at all. The onset of COVID restrictions made for increased availability in online work, and therefore, accessibility where there hadn’t previously been. This made the choice to work independently and avoid strain easier than ever. While widely beneficial physically and emotionally, remote work is still subject to economic obstacles. Small business owners, content creators, and the like frequently struggle to build clientele and a regulated income, so a hybrid model is most feasible for some.  

Working remotely provides personal freedom and comfort for a collective that values both highly – from visual art to writing to online sex work, we’re finding our niches and monetizing them. This freedom also comes with downsides, though, the largest being the financial difficulty of a small business. While many are doing work from home, “nearly 40% of Gen Z freelancers are currently or willing to work full time while 30% in a part time capacity.” The reality is it’s hard to get significant income from this kind of work and harder to do it consistently. So in some cases, opting for both is a way to do something enjoyable while being able to pay the bills. It also means not having to worry about hiding tattoos or how you’re dressed, whether it’s outlandish and bold, matches a gender identity that’s hidden or just sweats with compression garments.  

I’m not under the impression that older generations haven’t had these problems. Of course they’ve also disliked the system, had anxiety, been ill. The difference is in the groups’ attitude toward the issue. While previous generations have accepted this, we’ve let ourselves feel the dissatisfaction wholly and allowed it to prompt creation. Compassion for the self, along with an increasingly widespread understanding of the misgivings of capitalism has produced a mass rejection of established norms for employment in Generation Z that will surely have lasting impact.