The Gaslighting of the Millennial Generation. Caitlin Fisher

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      Chapter 3

      Millennials Are Killing the Workplace

      “Did Millennials Kill the 9-to-5 Workday, or Just Point Out That It’s Dead?”

      —Entrepreneur, March 2016

      “Working with Millennials is the worst”

      —New York Post, September 2016

      When I applied for my current job, the woman who would become my new boss wrote me an email inviting me for a phone interview. She happened to mention that the company offered flexible scheduling and work-from-home days, which she correctly assumed would be a big draw for me, since the job included a hefty commute. I spoke with her on the phone, and we already got along great before I came in for my in-person interview. I left the building feeling confident and super-excited.

      Then I hit a deer and totaled my car on the way home. I decided to take this as a sign to keep moving forward, rather than a sign that this was a terrible job for me. Like the Universe was saying, “You sure about a new job, buddy? That’s a real long commute.” Alas, the pull of the quirky college town, along with the fact that I negotiated a pretty bitchin’ salary raise over my previous role, were enough to sway me with very little arm-twisting.

      When I started the new gig, I asked with some anxiety and hesitation if it would be okay if I went home at four instead of five, so I could leave while it was still daylight. Winter’s short days are a giant downer anyway, even if you haven’t recently crashed the car you’ve had for eight years right into a buck. My manager, still super-excited to have me on board and assure me that the deer was not a sign of my impending doom with the company, readily agreed.

      Even though some employers grumble about the entitled Millennials wanting flextime and work-from-home opportunities, it turns out that flexible schedules aren’t that hard to offer employees! And the employees really appreciate it! Who would have thought, right?

      There’s been an explosion in flexible schedules in what used to be standard nine-to-five workplaces, including perks like telecommuting and flextime. It’s not just Millennials taking advantage of these growing trends, but of course the responsibility rests with us if you listen to the media headlines, like the one from Entrepreneur referenced at the head of this chapter.

      A 2014 survey at Bentley University reports that Millennials “believe that flexible work schedules make the workplace more productive for people their age,” and workplace research tends to back this up.18 Forbes and Inc. report articles linking flexible schedules to improved employee morale and productivity. In fact, work-life balance and company culture makes a bigger impact to Millennials than salary itself.

      Check out some of these stats:

      • “Millennials would take an average pay cut of $7,600 if they could improve their career development, find more purposeful work, better work-life balance, or a better company culture.”19