Office work pushes us all to want to be influencers?

The cry of Generation Z is increasingly uniform and concerned about their privacy and mental health. Maximum working hours per day and per week exist for a very specific reason. While it's true that work is a right guaranteed by the Italian Constitution, it's equally true that it can be a source of stress and fatigue. But what is the maximum number of working hours? Truthfully, in Italy, there's no fixed rule that strictly determines it. The normal working hours are set at 40 hours per week, but this is a decidedly flexible maximum (source: Adecco, a private employment agency for individuals and companies).

It's only a matter of time

This model is creating among the new wave of young workers, who often start with a post-graduate internship, a sense of alienation that leads them to live for the weekends, where they concentrate all hobbies, private, and social activities. Considering also the time spent commuting to work, which on average adds additional hours daily on public transportation (in Italy, the European Mobility Observatory Ipsos/BCG estimates about 11 hours per week), there remains a meager amount of time to enjoy leisure.

"My employer controls my salary, my free time, my vacations, my family time, my stress levels, my hobbies, my ability to live life as I want... all while expecting me to appreciate and dedicate myself 100%. And they could change their mind and send me home for any reason, just like that," quotes a young person on Quora, a site for sharing ideas, questions, and answers.

What does "We're not saving lives" mean?

"We're not saving lives!" is the motto born out of the frustration generated by office jobs, where one must dedicate their life to the job. Despite choosing to study for a particular field, the fact remains that Gen Z is a generation that seems to express all the dissatisfaction that previous generations hid or suppressed with a "work is work". And what if it were possible to change what has been believed as axioms until now? TikToker Brielle Asero went viral at the end of 2023 on the social media platform for posting a video of herself crying, venting out. She is at the center of yet another social media storm involving Gen Z and work. The young woman, in a video posted on her TikTok profile, complained about 8-hour shifts which for her, and for most of the directly involved, are too much. She lamented with desperate tears, explaining that commuting to work adds to the burden. Adding up work and commute time, the entire day is consumed, leaving no time for a life outside of work. This sparked a social media storm, picked up by major outlets, reigniting the discussion about the relationship between new generations and an older conception of work, which risks becoming obsolete in a society that moves at the speed of light and pays more attention to mental health than any previous generation.

The end of the 9-18 workday myth?

According to Gallup, at least 45% of full-time employees work remotely at least some of the time, this change has forced many companies to reconsider the 9 to 6 workday. The most apparent problem is that working eight hours a day doesn't guarantee productivity. Humans are a diverse group and often work very differently. Some are night owls and prefer to work when others sleep. Others are early birds and prefer to start early in the morning but are exhausted by mid-afternoon. This rigidity can be detrimental to employee morale and retention. Gen Z is the only one that prefers, or admits to preferring, the idea of flexibility. Many state that this takes precedence over pay in choosing a new job. More and more people prefer to start their own business rather than be employed: the choice is said to be between freedom and security, and this generation prefers to invest in freedom, sometimes even sacrificing a higher salary for more time.

The myth of the "influencer" workday

Today the word influencer has become commonplace. Everyone wants to be Instagram models, YouTube stars, or Twitch streamers. Everyone wants to make money, become famous, and have a large audience through social media: this has transformed ordinary people into marketing assets and sponsors of products and brands. In 2024, the work-life balance for social media influencers surpassed the simplistic division between work hours and free time. For influencers, this means cultivating an online presence that aligns with their true selves, allowing for a more natural integration of work into their daily lives. In this context, work-life balance isn't just about time management but also the full integration of flexibility, mental health, and physical well-being into a lifestyle that autonomously considers all variables. The goal is to promote a lifestyle where professional success doesn't come at the expense of personal health and happiness but rather strengthens it, reflecting the progressive work culture of 2024.