MILLENNIAL BUGBEAR

Ellie Muir is sick of the traits of older people - including her boss. The Gen-Zer points out 10 of their worst habits, from bizarre Harry Potter fixations to an obsession with pugs

- Ellie Muir

Have you heard the news? Millennials, the avocado-eating generation responsible for making the top-knot socially acceptable, have fallen from grace. Yes, it’s official. For more than a decade, the world marvelled at these bright young things as they sat on their throne of cool. They were Shoreditch hipsters. Lovers of side partings and indie music. Appreciators of any activity followed by the word “brunch”.

But, slowly, Gen Z have started to turn the tables on them. My generation, loosely made up of those born between 1997 and 2012, seem to have gained enough confidence to rip apart our elders – and we’ve publicly come for millennials’ socks, work habits and weird Harry Potter fixations. It might sound harsh; cruel, even. But isn’t it simply another rite of passage to lovingly tease the older generation as they age? Below, find some of the worst millennial gripes, from one Gen Zer, who is utterly surrounded by them.

Not having boundaries at work

There’s no denying that things have been tough for millennials. They entered the job market on the heels of the 2008 financial crash – their version of adulthood has been marked by economic instability, scarred by the constant fear of redundancy and job insecurity. But that experience made them adopt toxic working habits. I was slightly rattled on my first work experience placement when people said they were going to “lunch” but scurried back five minutes later clutching a Pret baguette that they chowed down while checking emails. On top of that: millennials send emails outside of working hours, and do overtime… just for the sake of it?

By comparison, my generation have much healthier boundaries at work. We know an hour’s lunch break will save us from burnout. We also know that writing a strongly worded OOO email for our annual leave is good for our mental health; so is logging off at 5pm sharp.