What Is ‘Office Ghosting’? The Troubling Gen Z Workplace Trend
By Movieguide® Contributor
You’ve heard of “ghosting” in a relationship, but it looks like some Gen Zers are applying the practice to their professional lives.
“Office ghosting” and “career catfishing” are terms that describe “the trend of job seekers accepting a job and refusing to show up on the first day,” per Forbes.
It’s even a TikTok trend; there are dozens of videos on the app that feature people talking about how and why they “ghosted” potential employers.
While it sounds silly, a survey conducted by PapersOwl found that 29% of young people surveyed “admitted to [office ghosting] during the last year, and an additional 20% have friends who abandoned their newly secured job just after one day.”
While job-hopping is common today, with many working freelance or in temporary gigs, the practice of “ghosting” jobs you might not like can damage your career prospects in the long run.
Relevant Magazine explained that “industries talk,” and hiring managers have long memories — “Ghosting a company today might mean burning a bridge that you need down the line.”
The outlet also said that “ghosting” reinforces the negative stereotypes that many older people have about Gen Z — that they’re unreliable and not hard workers.
“Constantly vanishing from jobs only fuels that narrative, making it harder for young workers to be taken seriously when advocating for flexibility, fair wages and mental health accommodations,” Relevant Magazine explained.
READ MORE: IS SOCIAL MEDIA DESTROYING GEN Z’S WORKPLACE POTENTIAL?
If you are stuck in a job you don’t want, there are other ways to deal with it. Relevant Magazine recommends professionally declining a role you’re not excited about, rather than taking it and then not showing up. They also counseled giving notice, even if it’s a short one.
And if you’re really not feeling it before the first day? An email telling your employer not to expect you is always better than full-on disappearing.
READ MORE: HOW TIKTOK DRIVES GEN Z WOMEN INTO DEBT
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