Health
Gen Z employees are taking more sick days than previous generations — here's why
Sick days have taken on a whole new meaning.
As Generation Z employees enter the workforce, paid sick days — allotted by a majority of companies — are being used more than ever.
Approximately 30% of employees took sick leave in the first 10 months of 2023 — up 42% from 2019, according to the HR platform Gusto, which is used by more than 300,000 U.S. businesses.
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The average amount of time taken off for sick leave has also increased by 15% since 2019, reaching an average of 15.5 hours per year.
Another HR platform, Dayforce, reported a 55% increase in sick leave during the same time frame, based on its users’ activity.
Among white-collar workers, Dayforce saw a 42% spike in sick leave since 2019.
Sick leave jumped 42% from 2019 to 2023, according to HR platform Gusto. (iStock)
Workers ages 25 to 34 years old were the most likely to take advantage of these benefits, according to Gusto’s data.
“This younger generation is now the most likely to take time away from work to rest and recover from an illness — a sign of a generational shift in the attitude that employees have about taking time off to protect their health,” Gusto reported last year.
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Jake Canull, regional director of the Top Employers Institute in New York, reacted to this data in a response sent to Fox News Digital.
Top Employers, in new research, found that regardless of age, “sick days are encouraged by employers to prevent and recover from illness,” Canull said.
Gen Z is “now the most likely to take time away from work to rest and recover from an illness,” according to Gusto, an HR platform. (iStock)
Many companies with high levels of employee engagement have created initiatives to raise awareness of mental and emotional health, the expert noted.
These same companies are 14% more likely to discourage people from working overtime and 9% more likely to encourage them to take stress-relieving breaks during the workday, Canull added.
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Gen Z employees are less likely to work in independent and self-directed workspaces — as they value human contact and collaboration, he said.
“They tend to prioritize safer and healthier workplaces over growth and development opportunities.”
America’s youngest workers also prioritize their own well-being, he mentioned, and are “very community-focused.”
“They tend to [avoid] infecting their colleagues by staying home,” Canull told Fox News Digital.
“Generally, they tend to prioritize safer and healthier workplaces over growth and development opportunities.”
Seventy-eight percent of Gen Z workers believe the workplace should build community, social connections and belonging, a survey found. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst and NYU Langone clinical professor of medicine, told Fox News Digital that it “would be nice” to think that an additional use of sick days is due to people being more conscious of spreading infection since the pandemic.
“But I don’t believe that’s the case,” he said. “If anything, post-COVID fatigue has led to fewer precautions, including to COVID, which is now spreading widely again.”
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The doctor presumed that rising sick days are more associated with burnout at work, scarcity of rewards and lack of commitment to careers — especially among younger people.
“People are more likely to game the system or require mental health days because of growing anxiety and depression in our society,” Siegel theorized.
“Some people just feel like providing more balance in their lives between work and play.”
Rising sick days could be due to burnout at work, lack of rewards and lack of commitment to careers, one doctor suggested. (iStock)
Dr. Kyle Elliott, a career coach based in California, agreed that Gen Z employees prioritize work-life balance.
“It’s easier to take a sick day when you find meaning and purpose beyond your work and career,” Elliott told Fox News Digital.
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Gen Z workers have also recognized that sick days aren’t solely reserved for physical illness, according to the expert.
“They can also be used when you’re coping with stress or burnout — and you don’t have to provide your employer with a detailed reason for why you’re using your sick time,” Elliott said.
Sixty-two percent of Gen Z respondents would be willing to accept a lower salary in return for a better work-life balance.
“Gen Z workers are demonstrating that it doesn’t hurt to take a day or two off when you’re feeling mentally worn down or exhausted — and it can pay off in the long run if you recover quicker.”
Elliott suggested that America’s youngest employees are learning there is “more to life than work” and “little benefit in working when you’re sick.”
Members of Gen Z are learning that there is “more to life than work,” one workplace wellness expert said. (iStock)
New and exclusive data from the Top Employers Gen Z survey revealed that 81% of young workers believe their employers have a responsibility to support the physical well-being of their employees.
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Meanwhile, 83% agree that employers are responsible for supporting their employees’ psychological well-being.
Also, 62% of Gen Z respondents would be willing to accept a lower salary in return for a better work-life balance, according to the survey.
Gen Z workers encouraged fostering supportive work environments, as 78% said the workplace should build community, social connections and belonging — and 75% stated that having fun at work is important.
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Fireworks have been a quintessential part of Fourth of July celebrations across the nation for generations.
But as Independence Day festivities light up the night sky, the colorful displays can also pose serious health risks — especially to the lungs.
Nearly 300 million pounds of fireworks are released into the atmosphere each year in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association. This creates smoke filled with tiny particles, as well as gases like sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, which are “very harmful to our lungs.”
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The smoke from fireworks can also release harmful metals, like aluminum, manganese and cadmium, into the air.
Some illegal fireworks may contain lead, which the association describes as “extremely dangerous” due to its potential to cause lasting health damage.
Attendees watch the Independence Day fireworks display along the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“Inhaling any of these chemicals can irritate the lungs, making it hard to breathe and causing serious health problems, which is why it is important to avoid firework smoke whenever possible,” the group said in a public advisory.
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Air pollution levels increase by an average of 42% on the Fourth of July, according to a 2015 study.
Smoke from fireworks can worsen symptoms and cause flare-ups in those who have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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Fine particle pollution has also been linked to more serious health consequences, including heart attacks, stroke, lung cancer and premature death, according to the American Lung Association.
The organization warned that children, older adults and pregnant women, as well as people with lung and heart disease, are especially vulnerable.
Smoke from fireworks can worsen symptoms and cause flare-ups in those who have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. (iStock)
Dr. Afif El-Hasan, member of the Lung Association’s board of directors, shared some advice for high-risk fireworks spectators in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Instead of using fireworks at home, El-Hasan recommends watching them from a distance.
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People with asthma who use a rescue inhaler should keep it close at hand in case fireworks trigger wheezing or other symptoms, the expert advised. Wearing a well-fitting N95 mask can also help reduce exposure to fine particles from fireworks smoke and debris.
“If you are familiar with the area and the wind patterns, try to be upwind from the fireworks display and avoid areas where smoke may accumulate,” he said.
An expert recommends watching fireworks from a distance to avoid exposure to air pollution. (iStock)
The expert also recommends attending fireworks events with friends or family, so someone is available to help if a medical emergency arises.
“Make sure you have taken all of your preventative medication before a fireworks show,” El-Hasan advised. “If possible, take a car to the fireworks display. Try to park as close as possible to the event in case you have to get to the car quickly.”
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The expert also recommends drinking water immediately after the show to clear the upper airway. Changing and washing clothes upon returning home can also help to prevent smoke particles from accumulating in the home.
If case of shortness of breath or chest pain, it’s important to seek medical care immediately.
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A study of World Trade Center responders found that PTSD is associated with molecular changes linked to accelerated biological aging and a higher risk of chronic disease.
The study, led by Stony Brook University in New York, could offer new clues to the long-term physical health effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The researchers tested blood samples from 393 WTC responders, collected approximately 18 years after the September 11, 2001, attacks, according to a university press release.
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Out of the sampled responders, 232 were diagnosed with PTSD and 161 were not. Between the two groups, 114 proteins and seven metabolites were significantly different.
Firefighter Gerard McGibbon, of Engine 283 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, prays after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed on September 11, 2001. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
In particular, the researchers detected changes in blood markers linked to brain function, immune activity, energy metabolism, protection against cell damage and how cells communicate and repair tissues.
Also reported were signs of accelerated biological aging in multiple organs — including the heart, kidneys, liver and lungs — among responders with PTSD.
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These discoveries could help explain why people with long-term PTSD are at greater risk for chronic conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, cognitive decline and other age-related illnesses.
“This study found that chronic PTSD is associated with long-lasting biological changes throughout the body, affecting multiple organs and biological systems decades after their traumatic exposure,” lead study author Benjamin Luft, director and principal investigator at the Stony Brook WTC Wellness Program, told Fox News Digital.
“Traumatic experiences can produce lasting biological changes that persist for decades.”
The study reinforces the view that PTSD is a “whole-body illness” rather than simply a mental health disorder, he noted.
“Traumatic experiences can produce lasting biological changes that persist for decades,” Luft said. “These changes appear to accelerate aspects of biological aging and may increase the risk of many chronic diseases.”
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Several proteins that are critical for healthy brain function were also altered in those with PTSD, the researchers found.
“Many of these proteins play critical roles in helping brain cells communicate with one another, repair damage and maintain healthy connections that support memory and thinking,” Luft said.
A New York firefighter is pictured amid the rubble of the World Trade Center following the 9/11 attacks in 2001. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The study – which was funded in part by the CDC, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and the National Institutes of Health – was published in Nature Communications.
Luft said the findings should be viewed with “cautious optimism.”
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“The research provides compelling evidence that PTSD is associated with long-lasting biological changes throughout the body, including signs of accelerated aging, altered metabolism and changes in proteins involved in brain health,” he said.
“These findings strengthen the growing recognition that PTSD is not simply a mental health disorder, but a condition that can have lasting effects on physical health as well.”
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Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, was not involved in the study but called the results “fascinating.”
“This speaks to the complex reality that PTSD is not an isolated psychiatric event due to emotional trauma alone, but that it is also tied in with physical trauma,” he told Fox News Digital. “The stress is both emotional and physical, and leads directly to immune dysregulation and aging processes.”
“These findings strengthen the growing recognition that PTSD is not simply a mental health disorder, but a condition that can have lasting effects on physical health as well,” the researcher said. (iStock)
“The chronic diseases that resulted from high exposure in the aftermath of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks were conjoined in terms of the impact on physical and emotional well-being, longevity and effects on multiple organ systems, as well as core metabolic and immunological processes,” the doctor added.
Study limitations
There were some limitations to the findings, the researchers noted.
“Because all measurements were taken at one point in time, the research can only show an association — not that PTSD directly caused the changes,” Luft noted.
“We are currently doing studies in these patients examining multiple time points to see whether the changes in specific proteins and metabolites precede clinical changes.”
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Also, because the study was done on a unique population – World Trade Center responders who experienced very specific trauma and environmental exposures – the findings may not apply to everyone with PTSD, “such as combat veterans, survivors of abuse or people who experienced other types of trauma.”
Several proteins that are critical for healthy brain function were also altered in those with PTSD, the researchers found. (iStock)
Women are not well-represented in the study, comprising only 10% of responders.
“Blood tests cannot tell us exactly what is happening inside the brain,” Luft said. “Although many of the altered proteins are related to brain function, blood measurements are only an indirect reflection of processes occurring in the brain.”
Looking ahead
Additional studies are needed to determine whether these blood markers can predict disease progression or treatment response.
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“From a public health and policy perspective, the study reinforces the importance of recognizing PTSD as a chronic medical condition with significant long-term health implications,” Luft said.
“Investing in early diagnosis, comprehensive treatment and long-term follow-up for trauma survivors, including our first responders and veterans, may improve quality of life while reducing the burden of chronic disease.”
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