If you don’t have one, you may have come across online viral discussions about the “Gen Z stare.” It’s a neutral, expressionless look that younger workers may give in response to a question or comment that, in other people from a different time, may prompt a warm smile and small talk. Every generation contributes to workplace culture change, and this one reflects Gen Z.

Kingston Law Group helps employees protect and enforce their rights under state and federal laws. If you have any questions or concerns about an issue with your employer, call us at 609-683-7400 so we can discuss the situation and how we may be of help.

Who is Gen Z?

“Gen Z” is the term applied to those born after 1996, according to the Annie E. Casie Foundation. Older members are in their 20s, have become more politically engaged, and are an increasingly important part of the workforce.

While they share many characteristics with millennials (born between 1981 and 1996), they have been shaped by a very different world, which impacts their attitudes, tendencies, and outlook.

Gen Z, compared to earlier generations, is more racially and ethnically diverse and more likely to be the children of immigrants. They’re also more likely to live in single-parent households, including where traditional gender roles aren’t in place.

They’re generally highly educated, have an increased interest in working in trades, value improving their experience and skills more than climbing corporate ladders, and value a healthy work-life balance.

What Is the “Gen Z Stare”?

The “Gen Z stare” refers to a neutral or expressionless response when older generations would normally expect a verbal or emotional reply. This may reflect many things, including being more comfortable with digital than in-person interaction, incomplete social development, a form of active listening, or being uncomfortable or ignorant of the topic being discussed. It could also indicate being stressed about a situation, possibly due to a disability.

Why Would a Stare Get an Employee in Trouble?

Older management may interpret it as disengagement, disrespect, or poor performance. Depending on the person, it may just be a different communication style.

If management would rather punish you than communicate and work with you, that’s their choice to make, as long as they’re not singling you out for negative treatment due to a legally protected status. This would be your age, race, color, sexual orientation, disability, gender, marital status, religion, or lack thereof.

Could Management Be Illegally Biased Against Gen Z Because of Their Age?

Gen Z is in their 20s and early 30s. The federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects workers 40 and older. The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) begins protecting employees at age 18. Each discrimination case is based on evidence. The stronger the evidence, the better the case.

There could be many issues with a supervisor that cut either way:

• The supervisor actively hires and promotes younger people, but, rightly or wrongly, doesn’t accept your communication style, and you suffer as a result
• Your supervisor may have had nothing to do with your hiring. They are biased against those your age because of your many perceived shortcomings. The stare might be the beginning. This person may see those your age as lazy, uninterested in anything beyond “punching the clock”, lacking loyalty to the company, and someone who’ll never get ahead in the organization. The latest trends may feed their bias.

If you have questions about situations like these, you should call our office so we can discuss what’s going on and how to protect your legal rights.

Could Management Be Illegally Biased Against a Member of Gen Z Because of a Disability?

The federal Americans with Disabilities Act and the state NJLAD prohibit disability-based employment practices. The ADA covers government employers and private ones with 15 or more employees. The NJLAD covers non-federal employers of all sizes.

Disability law covers employees who are disabled (a major life activity is substantially limited), have a record of a disability, are perceived as disabled, or are associated with someone with a disability (such as a spouse or family member). Those who qualify generally must be afforded a necessary, reasonable accommodation to perform the essential functions of a position.

That need not be granted if the accommodation would cause an undue burden on the employer. Both parties should be flexible and open to discussion on how to meet each other’s needs.

The “Gen Z stare” could be more than an acceptable practice among people of a similar age. It may be due to a desire to minimize parts of themselves they fear aren’t universally accepted, like their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or some other characteristic. If the workplace is racially biased, a non-White employee will probably be less likely to show enthusiasm.

The person may be dealing with anxiety, neurodivergent traits, a learning disability, depression, or other conditions that the person feels they should hide to survive in a workplace that rewards being extroverted.

If this becomes an issue for an employee, they should:

• Explain the situation in confidential communications with their supervisor so the employer is aware that there’s a psychological, emotional, or physical disability that explains how an employee communicates or interacts with others
• Request that they be reasonably accommodated by being fairly judged on how they perform their work, not on their outward enthusiasm

If an employer disciplines you for not smiling on cue or exhibiting enthusiastic body language, could they be penalizing you for conditions that qualify for protection under the ADA or NJLAD?

Depending on the position, an employer may feel that a solid connection to someone you’re communicating with is an essential function of the job (sales, for instance), and allowing someone detached and withdrawn to hold that position may cause an undue hardship (reduced sales), so a reasonable accommodation shouldn’t be provided.

Do You Feel Discriminated Against By Your Employer?

Kingston Law Group provides compassionate counsel and tough advocacy for employees. We are ready to help you, your loved ones, and your friends. Call us at +1-609-683-7400 or contact us online to schedule a near-term initial consultation at a reduced hourly rate. Call or write us today. You’ll be glad you did.