Meeting Generation Z’s Work-Life Balance Expectations: A Challenge for Today’s Employers

In today’s competitive market, organizations must adapt to meet the needs of the emerging Generation Z (Gen Z) workforce, which values flexibility, meaningful work, and digital connectivity. Work-life balance (WLB) has therefore become an essential priority. Despite growing interest, research on Gen Z’s WLB – especially in the Polish context – remains limited, highlighting a clear gap for further study. The presented study is part of a broader research project on the WLB of Gen Z. The main objective is to analyze WLB among Gen Z. The study employed a cross-sectional quantitative survey study, collecting responses from a total of 402 Gen Z participants with professional work experience. The study found that Gen Z experiences a moderate level of WLB. Gender does not significantly affect the overall level of balance, but women value mental health support and caregiving-related practices more than men. Employer practices such as additional days off and reduced working hours are perceived as the most important for supporting WLB. Work experience influences perceptions of specific practices: early-career employees prioritize mental health support, whereas more experienced employees place greater importance on caregiving-related initiatives.