Why Gen Z Prefers The Office Over Remote Work

Ever since COVID hit, there's been a lot of talk about working at home, or “remote work”. It's become very popular in the IT industry, and it's even gained traction among some of the people I work with in broadcasting. 

Just think about it, I could work from home and be on the air on my favorite radio station, The Quake 102.1. I wouldn't have the 22-mile round trip to drive to and from work, and most importantly, I Wouldn't have to put my pants on. (I'm sorry you think that's inappropriate but hey, it's true.) 

There's been a lot of movement on the corporate level to move some of these people that are working at home back into the office, and that's hit a little bit of resistance. But I ran across an interesting statistic the other day, and you might find this interesting as well. 

here are the facts

For Gen. Z, it's trending in the other direction. That is to say, more Gen. Z workers want to be in the office.  

According to axios.com.
‘Gen Z workers are chasing more time in the office.
The generation with a reputation for preferring fully remote work is actually the least likely to want it — reflecting deeper worries about connection and growth, recent Gallup polling shows. 
Fewer than a quarter (23%) of remote-capable Gen Z employees say they'd prefer fully remote work, compared with 35% among each older generation, according to Gallup's 2025 survey.’ 

The major driver for this seems to be loneliness. The Gen. Z community does not have a whole lot of social interaction in their lives. 27% of Gen. Z workers say that they feel very lonely at times during an average workday. Gallup says that's nearly twice the percentage of Gen. Xers and three times the percentage of baby Boomers. 

Another reason that Gen. Z workers want to work in the office is because they think that it will give them advantages when it comes to advancement in their career. They feel, (and not wrongly) that remote workers and hybrid workers are losing out when it comes to career opportunities. 

It's interesting to note that on social media Some Gen. Zers are saying that working in the office has actually improved their mental health and productivity. 

Now let me put my two cents in. 

As an unapologetic baby boomer, I have to tell you that. I tried remote work several years ago and for me it was a disaster. I don't know if it's because of my lack of impulse control or my lack of discipline. But I found working at home difficult, if not impossible. I'm glad to get up in the morning, take a shower, get dressed, and go to work. 

It also doesn't hurt that I like my coworkers.