Nearly two years after the pandemic ended, many businesses are moving away from remote work.

In Britain, large firms such as Boots, Amazon and JP Morgan have ended at-home work completely, with Lord Rose, the former head of Asda and Marks and Spencers, declaring that remote work is not “real work”.

The youngest adult workers are having a particularly hard time adjusting to this new norm.

Gen Z, people aged up to 28, now make up about 27 per cent of the workforce.

“This is the group that graduated from university during the pandemic,” said executive coach Lorene Phillips, of Clarendon Wallace. “These are the ones who rolled over in bed, turned their laptops on and were at work.”

When the shift back to the office first started some organisations made allowances for them.

“Now employers want to see more professionalism,” Ms Phillips said.

That has led to problems for some twentysomethings.

Last month, Forbes magazine reported that 60 per cent of managers surveyed had fired a Gen Z for lack of professionalism, or poor communication skills, in the last year. Eighteen per cent of bosses were also considering quitting due to the stress of managing their Gen Z employees.

One 2023 study published in Current Psychology found that Gen Z were less resilient than Gen X (born between 1965 and 1980), with Gen Z having higher rates of anxiety and depression. It also found Gen Z were more open to change and less conservative.

In response, one Gen Z told The Royal Gazette: “Of course we struggle more from anxiety and depression. Our formative years were in the middle of the ‘apocalypse’. And, older bosses wanting to quit because it’s stressful dealing with Gen Z does not sound very resilient to me.”

Ms Phillips has seen some young people quitting their jobs while still in the probationary period.

“I’m thinking, seriously, you are going to quit after three months?” she said.

It is not only Gen Z having a hard time with the new work environment.

“Some more mature professionals have also fallen into bad work habits,” Ms Phillips said. “We have been hanging out in our pyjamas, hoodies and sweats for the last few years.”

Malika Taylor, the managing director of Expertise Group, which provides human resource and recruitment services, said: “We are actually seeing the biggest demand for hybrid work environments from Gen X and Boomers (ages 60 to 79). People with pets, children and ageing parents value the flexibility of working more from home."

Ms Taylor said Gen Z and new hires had the most to gain from being present in the office because it offered an opportunity for them to learn from others organically and develop job skills faster.

“We still see promotion and advancement opportunities afforded to those who spend the most face time with their managers and colleagues, which mostly happens in the office,” she said.

However, it may be in the best interest of firms to maintain flexible working conditions.

Jenny Smatt, the managing director of management consulting firm, Ontru Ltd, said: “Integrating flexibility into company policy is imperative for employers who wish to attract and retain top talent.”

• Are you a Gen Z in the Bermuda workforce. What is it like out there? Tell us about your experiences by e-mailing jmhardy@royalgazette.com