Millennials and Gen Zers Are Planning Intermittent “Micro-Retirements”

Gen Z is already feeling the work burnout and is now planning mini-retirements every year or so to recharge.

Why It Hits: Thanks to a challenging job market, depressed wages, and the threat of displacement by AI, workers are feeling the squeeze from all sides, leading to burnout. Taking periodic breaks from work tracks when Gen Z already puts a premium on mental health.

Behind the Sabbaticals: Graduating from college with the odds stacked against them, the youngest cohort is already feeling like they need a vacation.

• Micro-retirements are brief breaks that last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, usually occurring every 12 to 18 months.
• They’re typically unpaid, so it doesn’t dip into PTO, giving the time off a slightly different vibe than a typical vacation.
• The time off is intended to recharge the batteries, similar to mental health days that some companies have begun to offer in recent years.

Last Stop: Despite the potential negative impact to career growth, a Side Hustles survey found that 13% of millennials and 9% of Gen Zers are planning a micro-retirement this year, while 75% of Americans believe that employers should offer micro-retirements (unpaid, obviously) as a job perk to keep employees refreshed. Sometimes, not losing your sanity is worth having a promotion delayed.

Prediction: Expect younger workers to start negotiating to add a micro-retirement schedule to their employment packages, which could institute a European-style holiday culture in the US.