Young workers in Generation Z emphasize health concerns as top priorities - GenZ workforce prioritizes health concerns over other factors
A new report by the DAK, a German health insurance company, has revealed that young employees under the age of 30 have experienced higher sickness rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report, which was based on data from both the IGES Institute and Forsa, surveyed over 7,000 employees about job satisfaction and health status.
Despite being more frequently ill, 65% of young employees reported working while sick at least once in the past 12 months, compared to 62% of all DAK-insured employees. The sickness rate for employees under 30 insured with DAK was 4.7% last year, which is 13% lower than the overall rate of 5.4%. However, there were 42% more cases of sickness among employees under 30 compared to the overall rate.
The report did not provide specific reasons for the increase in sickness among young employees, but it did include information about health behavior and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Among employees under 30, the absence rate due to common cold symptoms has increased by 25% since the pandemic compared to an 18% increase across all age groups.
Generation Z employees (born between 1995 and 2010) make up about one in five of Germany's 43 million employed individuals. Employees under 30 were absent for shorter periods on average compared to other age groups.
The report specifically focuses on employees in Hamburg, but the data analyzed in the report was from employed DAK insured individuals. The exact percentage increase in sickness among all DAK-insured employees was not specified in the report.
While the report does not provide direct information about the health behavior patterns of Generation Z employees during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, related research and German studies suggest that Generation Z faced significant mental health challenges during the pandemic due to social isolation, disruption of routines, and abrupt transitions to remote learning or work environments. Physical activity levels also declined for many youth during the pandemic, potentially impacting their overall health and fitness. Young people, including Generation Z, increased their use of digital platforms to seek mental health information and support, favoring anonymous and peer-based online communities to cope with pandemic-related psychological impacts.
For precise findings from the DAK regarding Generation Z employees, their pandemic health behaviors, and workplace-related patterns, one would need to consult DAK's official publications or reports that focus on this demographic group.
The report indicated a 25% increase in sickness rates due to common cold symptoms among Generation Z employees since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to an 18% increase across all age groups. Additionally, this demographic, despite experiencing higher sickness rates, showed a tendency to work while sick more frequently, a behavior that could potentially be linked to the mental health challenges they face during social isolation, disruptions of routines, and abrupt transitions to remote learning or work environments.
