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A new study has revealed that Gen Z employees are quitting jobs in response to intense pre-workweek anxiety and workplace burnout.
In a Resume.io survey of 1,000 Americans, 20.2% of Gen Z respondents said they had quit a job due to the “Sunday scaries,” a term widely used to describe feelings of dread before the start of the work week. Nearly half, or 45.9%, said they had considered it.
The term “Sunday scaries” first surfaced on Urban Dictionary in 2009 and has since become a recognized reference to Sunday evening anxiety among professionals. The data suggests Gen Z workers, defined in the report as those up to age 28, are especially impacted.
Across the entire working population, 1 in 7 workers reported experiencing Sunday anxiety on a weekly basis. Some 11.7% said they had resigned from a job for that reason.
“This generation is the first to prioritize mental health over wealth,” said Michael Ryan, a finance expert and founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com. “They've watched their parents sacrifice for 'job security,' only to face layoffs, recession, and stress-related illness. Gen Z isn't job hopping because they're flaky. They're hunting for alignment. Purpose. Boundaries. If they can't find it? They leave.”
Mental health outweighs security
In the Resume.io findings, 71.6% of Gen Z respondents said their job negatively impacts their mental health. By comparison, 44.6% of millennials, 37.8% of Gen X, and 27.3% of Boomers reported the same.
Top causes of pre-week anxiety among all respondents included workload and deadlines (33.1%), burnout and exhaustion (23.6%), and unrealistic expectations (15.7%).
Entry-level workers were most affected by weekly stress, with 19.6% experiencing Sunday anxiety each week.
“The pressure and workload that is placed upon many in professional positions is increasing and it feels like many young people are being asked to do the work of two or three employees,” said Matthew Solit, executive clinical director at LifeStance Health.
Gen Z faces workplace scrutiny
Despite prioritizing mental health, Gen Z workers have faced criticism from some employers. A report from Intelligent.com found 1 in 6 companies expressed hesitation about hiring recent college graduates due to concerns over preparedness, communication, and professionalism. Six in 10 employers had already fired 2024 college graduates by September of last year.
“The workplace culture in America does not always favor rest and time away from work, instead favor checking emails while out of office and working long hours. Simply put, the burnout factor is higher, and the youngest generations are seeing it and struggling more to cope,” Solit added.
A Hunter