A Gen Z joined the team. Week one. During onboarding, the manager said, “We sometimes stay late during peak periods.” Gen Z nodded. Then asked, “Is that paid… or just expected?” The room went quiet. - No attitude. - No rebellion. - Just a question. Later that day, HR mentioned “growth opportunities.” Gen Z replied, “Does growth include raises, or just more responsibility?” Again, silence. - No laziness. - No entitlement. - Just clarity. That’s when the team realized something. When people say “Gen Z is lazy,” what they really mean is: Gen Z watched old generation - skip meals, - miss birthdays, - work weekends, - and burn out only to be told “budgets are tight” and “be grateful you have a job.” So Gen Z chose differently. - They don’t romanticize overwork. - They don’t confuse suffering with ambition. - They don’t trade health for praise. They still work hard. They just refuse to work for nothing. It’s not laziness. It’s pattern recognition. And honestly, after everything old generation went through… Can you really blame them?