Commentary: Gen Z is taking 'micro-retirement'. Don’t laugh - CNA
Young workers have rebranded sabbaticals – and they may be onto something, says Erin Lowry for Bloomberg Opinion.
Gen Zs and millennials have demonstrated they have no qualms with quitting and job hopping. (Photo: CNA/Raj Nadarajan) Erin Lowry Erin Lowry 18 Mar 2025 06:00AM (Updated: 06 Nov 2025 01:33PM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST NEW YORK: Gen Z has been in the workforce just long enough to want out. Well, at least temporarily. The concept of a micro-retirement has started to trend (again) on social media, which makes it seem as if an entire generation of 20-somethings wants to take an adult gap year.
Is this a rebranding of the more well-known sabbatical?
Yes, with a couple of noteworthy caveats: Micro-retirement isn’t employer-granted – say goodbye to pay while you’re away or a guaranteed job upon return – and it’s meant to be more of a routine lifestyle choice to combat burnout and pursue personal passions.
But it’s not Gen Z that should be fixating on micro-retirement; it’s companies.
CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Employers can and should offer these sorts of breaks to their employees as a workplace benefit, especially if working remotely is no longer an option. Offering access to an employer-granted micro-retirement, which sounds far chicer than “sabbatical”, is one more set of golden handcuffs.
It’s a perk akin to an employer-matched 401(k) or restricted stock units with a suboptimal vesting schedule or the ultimate golden handcuffs: Health insurance.
