Are Gen Z able to work the same long hours Boomers did?

I find it incredible that 70 hour weeks can be sustained beyond a short-term need to focus on a specific set of objectives. As an owner-operator, much like many small business owners, I have pulled my fair share of long working weeks, and have also worked through many weekends too. So I feel qualified to testify that it can't be sustained for a long time. To put it into perspective, a 70-hour week is 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you don't have lunch, that's 9am to 7pm every single day, or with a lunch, 9am to 8pm every day. And I repeat, every single day!

If you are trying to compress these hours Monday to Friday, it would occupy every waking moment, and that's not good for the quality of work that will be produced under such working conditions. This is not about Gen Z, Boomers or any other generation, it's about questioning exactly what we are on this earth to achieve for our three-score-years-and-ten.

As a psychologist, I’d argue it’s less about whether Gen Z can work 70-hour weeks like Boomers did, and more about the impact of such schedules on health, productivity, and overall life satisfaction. Extensive research on workplace productivity and well-being actually shows that working beyond 55 hours a week is not only unsustainable but also ineffective. Studies from cities like London, Tokyo, and New York reveal that productivity tends to plateau, or even drop, after about 50 hours per week. In fact, people working 70-hour weeks often accomplish only marginally more than those working 50, but with far greater risks of burnout, mental health issues, and physical health declines.

Gen Z is particularly aware of these findings and is leading a mindset shift away from the "grind culture" of previous generations. Unlike Boomers, who often embraced long hours as a mark of dedication, Gen Z is focused on sustainable productivity and mental well-being, striving for quality over qua