Generational gaps in workplace communication create misunderstandings over texts, calls and disclosures
A Gen Z employee’s choice to text about being late clashed with her Gen X boss’s expectation of a phone call, highlighting broader communication gaps between younger and older workers.
At a locally owned café, a Gen Z staff member chose to send a text when she realized she would be late, believing it saved her busy manager’s time, but the Gen X owner interpreted the lack of a call as disrespectful. In another example, a young employee at a large New England blue-collar firm told his baby-boomer supervisor about his severe anxiety; the manager responded with sympathy but also discomfort about the level of personal information shared.
The author notes that many younger workers entered the labor market during the pandemic, when digital communication replaced face-to-face cues, and that AI tools now further reshape how expectations are set. Without explicit conversations about preferred communication methods and boundaries, both sides risk misreading each other's intentions. Clear, brief discussions about expectations can prevent such misunderstandings and improve workplace cohesion.
