Generation Z is losing out on stress at work. Young people prefer a convenient solution

Among other things, experts from Randstad drew such conclusions in their report entitled "Workmonitor Pulse". The international study was conducted from March 28 to April 9, 2025 among 5,250 professionally active residents of Australia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, the United States and the United Kingdom aged 18 to 67.

Generation Z doesn't want stress at work

Globally, as many as 60 percent of respondents said they would rather choose a less stressful position than a higher salary, while as many as 40 percent admitted they had already made that decision. A strong preference in this direction was observed across all age and professional groups. It is especially true for remote workers, with as many as 67 percent of them preferring a more relaxed, albeit lower-paid job.

In terms of preferences in individual age groups, the millennials, or today's 30- and 40-year-olds, are the most willing to give up on a better salary - 63 percent of them admitted this. The same conviction was expressed by slightly fewer, 61 percent of Generation X people, or, to put it simply, today's 50-year-olds. The same answer was given by 57 percent of Generation Z representatives, who are considered the generation that cares most about their mental well-being.

It is worth emphasizing, however, that it was the Generation Z respondents who most often admitted that they had already decided to take a lower-paid job in exchange for peace and work-life balance – 44 percent of respondents answered this way. As you can see, the “Zs” are a group that does not want to stop at declarations, but is ready to turn them into action. A similar decision was made by 41 percent of millennials, 38 people from Generation X and 34 percent of boomers.

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The report’s authors note that Polish workers stand out from respondents from other countries in terms of these choices. Forty-six percent of Poles admitted that they had accepted lower pay to save themselves stress. The smallest percentage of such responses—34 percent—came from Italians.

The Japanese also dream of such a solution, perhaps slowly changing the stereotypical image of a penal employee. As many as 72 percent of them expressed their willingness to accept a lower-paid but less stressful position. In turn, in order to gain more flexibility in life, 44 percent of the Japanese have already accepted such employment conditions.