Following up on the last post of how generations define work-life balance differently and whether or not our expectations of work-life balance are realistic given today’s hardships, we’re going to take a look at the socioeconomics of living today, which are are vastly different than what it was like when Baby Boomers entered the work force around 1970:
- The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 500%
- Home prices are nearly 100% more costly (when adjusted for inflation)
- The median rent is up 150% (when adjusted for inflation)
- The price of a 4-year tuition increased 310% (when adjusted for inflation)
- The number of college graduates increased 254%
- Gas prices are up 57% per gallon (when adjusted for inflation)
Yet wages have only increased 80%.
The math isn’t mathing.
For Millennials and Gen Z, it’s not just about spending time traveling the world or being present for raising children. Work has mental, physical, and emotional consequences, both positive and negative. Through technological breakthroughs and scientific research, we are learning more and more about how our brains and our bodies’ function. What affects one affects the other.
It has long been known that high levels of stress can lead to chronic illness. But did you know that disrespectful and unethical behavior can cause mental health harm which can lead to heart disease or hypertension?
Baby Boomers would routinely sacrifice personal wellbeing for their employers which obviously led to reported high levels of stress. In fact, Baby Boomers exhibited a greater number of chronic health conditions (and earlier onset of two or more chronic health conditions) compared to the generations before them. While we can’t entirely attribute their declining health to burnout, it can’t be entirely ruled out either.
I think we can all agree that someone’s health is priority. But why do we seemingly only mean that in physical health? If we know that mental health harm can cause physical health harm, then why are we not paying attention to the symptoms of mental health harm to prevent it from becoming physical health harm?
Today, two incomes for one household is almost mandatory to simply make ends meet. That’s if the household even has to present parents. Times are different.
Farmers know better than anyone the importance of adapting to changing environmental conditions. Do you put that same care and consideration into your human resources?