Everyone thinks Gen Z is ‘lazy’ — but Gen X and millennials are secretly envious of their best qualities

Despite their reputation for being lazy, Gen Z is now being admired for their guts.

The young generation — who has touted “lazy girl jobs” and “quiet quitting” — has earned a reputation of being hard to work with, but some industry veterans are applauding them for being able to stand their ground.

Dan Schawbel, a future-of-work expert who works as a managing partner at the market research firm Workplace Intelligence, told Business Insider that Gen Z is “more likely to advocate for their rights, work-life balance and their personal values.”

It’s a jarring contrast from workplace politics of yore when older generations abided by ingrained hierarchies to “pay their dues” in the workplace, Schawbel explained.

“There was a sense of ‘this is how things are done, these are the expectations, this is how you earn your stripes,’ and they just got on with it,” UK-based career coach Alice Stapleton told Insider.

“Perhaps some wish they’d had the courage to stand up for themselves at that age, especially if they’re now feeling burned out and resentful at how their career has panned out since.”

But Gen Z’s newfound confidence — and defiance — could come off as “entitled, impatient, or disrespectful of established norms,” Schawbel noted, even if that isn’t their intention.

Sophie O’Brien, the founder of recruiting company Pollen Careers, told Insider that she’s noticed Gen Z often chooses “action over complaints,” which, in a way, “almost forces change.”

“They question why we do things the way they do, not to defy authority, but to see if there are better ways,” she explained.

Like, for example, ditching the “live to work” mentality and, instead, opting for a “work to live” attitude to avoid burnout.

If all else fails, they’d rather quit than tolerate another day at a job they loathe.

“Instead of suffering in a job that doesn’t align with their values, they’d rather leave than endure it just for a paycheck,” O’Brien added. “This attitude is forcing the hand of organizations who want to attract Gen Zs.”

Notably, after previously calling Zoomers “annoying” to work with, Jodie Foster changed her tune during a Hollywood Reporter roundtable last month, during which she said she appreciates Gen Z’s ability to say “no.”

“For whatever reason I didn’t know that when I was young, that I can say no,” she said at the time.

“That’s what’s good about this new generation is they’re very comfortable with saying no. Very, very good at setting boundaries and going, ‘I don’t like that’ and ‘I want to do this.’ And I didn’t know that was possible when I was young.”

According to recently released data, Gen Z desires employers who have “non negotiable” qualities, such as being inclusive and granting them autonomy in the workplace while also being engaged in their career success.

“Gen Z is showing that there is a different way,” Stapleton said of a Zoomer-ified workplace, “and that doesn’t always go down too well with the previous generation.”