Viral TikTok debate shows the 9-5 isn’t working for gen Z

In October, a TikTok by user brielleybelley123 fuelled the never-ending debate around gen Z, the 9-5 work week, work-life balance, and working from home.

In ‘QOTD (question of the day), in a 9-5 how do u have time for ur life?’, she explains her situation. She’s in her first full-time job, a marketing role in New York City, after graduating from university. Due to the city’s high rent, she lives in New Jersey and faces a long commute. She gets on the train at 7.30 in the morning and is home by 6.15pm at the earliest.

@brielleybelly123

im also getting sick leave me alone im emotional ok i feel 12 and im scared of not having time to live

♬ original sound – BRIELLE♉️

“I don’t have time to do anything,” she said. “I want to shower, eat my dinner and go to sleep. I don’t have time or energy to cook my dinner, either. I don’t have energy to work out, that’s out the window. I’m so upset.”

The video has gone viral, with 2.9 million views at the time of publishing.

The debate in the comments is a predictable one.

“The 40-hour work week is beyond outdated and your feelings are totally valid,” said one. “It’s crazy to me that younger generations are not prepared to work. My parents both worked, we knew that’s what adult life was and still is,” said another.

Many took the opportunity to welcome Brielle to adulthood, and plenty more rushed to detail their longer hours, bigger commutes and added responsibilities like raising children.

The ‘young people are afraid to work these days’ complaint has been used on every generation as they came of age. Since the lockdown era, working from home versus commuting has added a new element to the discussion.

Current economic factors like higher cost of living, stagnant wages, and a lack of affordable housing render comparison between generations pretty pointless, but that doesn’t stop social media users of all ages from offering up their opinions.

Millionaire VC Jason Calcanis took to X, posting “Oh princess… I’m sorry you had to commute and work and have a job and everything — it’s like so extra!” And garnered a similar mixed response of agreement and criticism.

In a follow-up video directly calling out Business Insider for an article about her, Brielle outlined the current experience of gen Z graduates in the US. “I’m one of the lucky post-grads that got a job in my field”.

“I know so many post-grads who have been searching for upwards of a year and they still can’t find a job in their field and they have hundreds of thousands of dollars in student debt.”

@brielleybelly123

@Business Insider @The Daily Dot heres my official comment take it and run since no one wants to run me my check $$$

♬ original sound – BRIELLE♉️

“I am so extremely thankful that my employer actually decided to reach back out to me because a lot of them don’t. A lot of them don’t want to train a college graduate and that’s the problem.”

“Post-grads are having so much difficulty finding a 9-5 and then when we do get thrown into one, we don’t know how to handle it because… college doesn’t set us up for that type of schedule.”

Like so many other gen Zers who came of age during COVID-19 lockdowns, her high school was remote and college was remote. “Obviously I’m not used to working a 9-5 schedule because I’m not used to being anywhere from 9-5 during the day”.

A recent global survey found that one in three Australian employers want to pay remote workers less than those who front up to the office. An October Gallup poll links a return to the office with increased worker stress.

At the end of part two, Brielle sums up her thoughts.

“What I’m saying is that yes, America needs to reform the 9-5 schedule because it’s not fair that the only people that are benefiting are the people that either run the corporations and can make their own schedules, so they just pile on the work to people that are less fortunate.”