A viral social media post from a young tech professional in Bangalore has sparked widespread discussion online about generational shifts in workplace expectations. The post, shared anonymously, details an encounter with a manager who remarked, “You Gen Z folks aren’t easy to manage,” citing demands for better pay, work-life balance, and on-time departures.
The employee’s response struck a chord with many in the industry. The post read, ” I recently moved to Bangalore, and as if adjusting to a new city wasn’t stressful enough, my manager drops this gem in our very first 1:1: “You Gen Z folks aren’t easy to manage. You want perks, high salary, but also want to leave on time.”
It further stated, “And we still can’t leave until the manager leaves. Yeah bro, we aren’t easy to manage, because we’re done taking the toxicity that’s been normalized in Indian tech for years. I’m not staying late just to be “seen.” I’m not working weekends for your fake “client urgency.” And I’m definitely not here to bow down to insecure managers who think fear = respect. Take your so-called “urgent calls” and chill. “
He added, “Now HR’s rolling out silent hours, therapy apps, and “flexibility”? Of course they are we called their bluff. This isn’t entitlement. It’s called self-respect. We’re not lazy. We’re just the first ones to say no to a system built on guilt, fear, and overwork. If your company can’t handle that, maybe it’s time to ask who’s really “not easy to manage.”
‘Good get ready to be fired soon’
The Internet quickly responded to the post. A user said, “Good get ready to be fired soon,” Another noted,” Population of India is not in your favor. There are thousands of people in the line who would take your job. it’s simple demand supply.” “. If your management style relies on guilt trips, late hours, and fake hustle culture, maybe you need managing. Gen Z isn’t the problem your outdated mindset is,” wrote another netizen.
Another claimed, “Gen z is the generation that can afford self respect. The generations before that grew up in the late 1900s at a time where india was rebuilding itself after the British moved out. Survival was more important than self respect. The entire IT service industry, your infosys, tcs, wipro literally served the IT needs for American and european countries to earn money and use it in the indian economy. Look up “pager duty” which was the most common entry level IT job back then, there was no 9 to 5, or overtime, or time off. So yeah gen z is the first generation to stand up and claim self respect but you all have elder person in your family.. your dad, mom, granddad, uncle who did all the above so that you are today able to stand and say this.”
A user claimed,”Millennials and earlier generations grew up being told to suffer humiliation in silence as it builds character, or it’s ok for your elders or seniors to berate you, self respect was an unnecessary accessory and mental health a joke. We were told to keep the eye on the prize – monthly salary and pension in our golden days. But this no longer holds true especially in the corporate set up. Babu mentality is something that was ingrained in us, but good to see gen z is speaking up and changing the narrative.”