Third of Gen Zers Polled Fret Over Return to Office for Surprising Reason
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Many companies are still in the process of issuing return-to-office mandates, but Gen Zers are worried these changes could make a significant impact on their lives—specifically their sex lives.
In a new EduBirdie survey, one in three Gen Zers believe returning to the office would harm their romantic lives. The younger generation is worried the amount of sex they'd be having could considerably drop compared to when working remotely, due to long commutes and less work/life balance.
Why It Matters
Office attendance has risen since the coronavirus pandemic, when offices largely shut down and remote work became the norm.
Recent data from Kastle System revealed the national average peak day attendance is 62.2 percent. Chicago, New York City and three Texas cities (Dallas, Houston, Austin) all saw significantly higher percentages.
But there's still pushback from workers, and with Gen Z making up most of the entry level positions, their reluctance could trigger workplace turnover and talent gaps.
A woman is pictured working from a hammock on January 12, 2010, in Varkala, near Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
A woman is pictured working from a hammock on January 12, 2010, in Varkala, near Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
EyesWideOpen/Getty Images
What To Know
Approximately 31 percent of poll respondents belonging to Gen Z, an age group defined as being born from 1997 to 2012, said they feared a return to the office would negatively affect their sex lives.
Remote work appeared to play a significant role in the younger generation having more sex, with 47 percent of Gen Zers saying they're having more sex while working remotely as a result of more flexible schedules.
The survey, based on 2,000 Gen Z responses, found that 30 percent schedule time for sex, and even more, 38 percent, wished their office had a private space for hookups.
Another recent survey from Intelligent.com discovered that companies are rapidly firing Gen Z employees just months after hiring them.
A whopping six in 10 employers had already fired recent college graduates who were hired in 2024. One in seven said they might refrain from hiring new college grads next year as well.
This, alongside workers' reluctance to return to the office, could reflect a larger gap between Gen Z and their employer's workplace expectations.
What People Are Saying
HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek: "Gen Z isn't shy about prioritizing pleasure over capitalism. Remote work gave them autonomy, privacy, and time. RTO threatens all three. When you strip away flexibility, you're killing morale and interrupting routines that include everything from therapy to midday hookups."
Alex Beene, financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "It's no surprise some in Gen Z are concerned about an upheaval to their personal lives by a return to the office. Much like money management, though, the transition requires maturity in discussions with your partner and family. For decades, couples were able to balance intimacy at home and work in an office; it's fair to say a belief it can no longer work isn't being realistic."
What Happens Next
Because companies have blurred the lines between work and home life for many years, Driscoll said, many Gen Zers are probably having sex on the clock, whether they're in office or remote.
"The deeper point here is that RTO is about control, not productivity," Driscoll said. "And Gen Z knows it. They're not afraid to say the quiet part out loud. Forced office time kills productivity, creativity, and it messes with your life, your body, and your relationships."
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