M R Yuvatha, Senior Correspondent, siliconindia

• Gen Z values meaning, ethics, and transparency over money they’ll quit if the job lacks purpose or authenticity.
• Mental health, remote options, and work-life balance are non-negotiable, burnout drives mass exits.
• Continuous learning, honest leadership, and real DEI action define loyalty not titles or tenure.

Imagine a 23-year-old software engineer hired with fanfare at a gleaming tech startup. Six months later, they ghost the team chat, delete their badge photo, and vanish into the gig-economy ether.

Their exit email sent at 2:14 a.m. reads simply, ‘This isn’t the plot twist I signed up for’. This isn’t an exception, it’s the opening scene of a workplace revolution scripted by an entire generation.

Gen Z, is quitting faster than any cohort in recorded labor history. Data shows that over 60% of them have left a job within the first year, and their median tenure is less than a year. But beneath the eye-rolling memes about ‘quiet quitting’ lies a seismic recalibration of what work must deliver to earn a human life. These are not tantrums, they are exit interviews for an obsolete social contract.

Marut Bhardwaj, Head of Potential Project, India - a global consulting & Professional, says “Employee wellbeing covers more than just physical health. Having a sense of purpose, emotional well-being, financial security, and strong, supportive relationships are all important aspects of a holistically healthy lifestyle”.

Here are ten non-negotiable truths distilled from thousands of real resignations, leaked chats, and anonymized employee reviews.

1. Purpose is the new 401(k)

More than three-quarters of Gen Z workers say they would accept a pay cut for ‘meaningful impact’. They grew up watching climate collapse on social media and student debt eclipse trillions, a job that merely pays rent feels like a participation trophy.

When the mission statement is just recycled corporate jargon, they walk. One employee in sustainability left after discovering the company’s eco-friendly products were mostly greenwashing. They now consult for ethical organizations, earning less but sleeping eight hours.