Gen Z Has Invented 'Micro-Retirement', Where You Take a Week Off Work and Then Go Back

We did it, folks. Finally a way to take a little bit of time off work to relax and recharge before hitting the ground running again. The fact it took this long to come up with something like that is pretty remarkable, but I'm thankful to Gen Z for its forward thinking and radical approach to the workplace.

In all seriousness, it seems most of these "micro-retirements" do actually differ from using vacation time in that these kids are apparently just taking unpaid leave when they don't have any PTO. So while rife with the irresponsibility you'd expect from Gen Z employees, there is at least a bit of a difference from your run-of-the-mill vacation.

Fast Company — While retirement typically occurs after completing a career and saving and investing for it, some Gen Z workers are taking unpaid leave when they haven’t accrued vacation time and calling it a “micro-retirement.”

Gen Z is using micro-retirement to avoid burnout, find greater fulfillment in their work, and enhance their overall well-being. However, it’s not just Gen-Z: according to a survey from Side Hustles, 10% of workers are considering taking a micro-retirement and 75% thought employers should offer micro-retirement policies such as unpaid sabbaticals.

I love nothing more than a good vacation, but if you haven't even been at a job long enough to accrue any PTO, it seems a little early to need a micro-retirement. Plus, don't all these zoomer companies just give out unlimited PTO now anyway to try to scam you into never using it? These kids need to take their lazy asses to one of those companies and take as much micro-retirement as they want.

The concept of an unpaid vacation has never even occurred to me, but I guess that just shows the Gen Z mind truly yearns for unemployment. Even those with jobs need to find ways to spend their time not making money.