Gen Z isn’t bad at workplace communication—your company is bad at explaining its rules

For many generations, differences at work are noticeable in routine matters. Take tardiness for work. One Gen Z employee I spoke to, who works at a small, locally owned café and restaurant run by a Gen X owner, realized she would be late one day and texted her boss. He was annoyed. To him, being late warranted a phone call, while she saw a text as more considerate given his busy schedule.

Both believed they understood what respectful workplace communication looked like, but had different interpretations. As Gen Z moves further into the workforce, these misunderstandings are becoming more common. Now, AI is altering how we communicate. The root issue isn't that Gen Z communicates better or worse than previous generations; they simply learn to do so in a different environment.