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5 Reasons Everybody Hates Their Older Coworkers

These common workplace habits are fueling generational tension.

By Chris Lewis, CEPF , Edited by Calista Headrick

Updated Nov. 4, 2026

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Today's offices can hold up to four generations working side by side, from Baby Boomers still in the workforce to Gen Z employees who grew up entirely online. The rise of remote work has stretched those differences further, forcing colleagues who may never share a physical space to still find ways to collaborate.

The friction has a price tag. Research from Clari + Salesloft and Workplace Intelligence found that generational conflict costs roughly 5.3 hours per employee per week in lost productivity, adding up to an estimated $56 billion a year across U.S. revenue-generating roles.

Here is what the surveys say younger workers actually find frustrating, and why the full picture is more complicated than the complaints suggest.

Resistance to AI and new technology

This is the most documented flashpoint in recent research.

In that same Clari + Salesloft survey, 64% of Gen Z respondents said Boomer resistance to technology is killing innovation, and 63% said it is costing them deals. On the other side, 60% of Boomers said Gen Z's tech-first approach is destroying customer relationships.

Neither side is entirely wrong. Older workers often worry that relying on AI removes the human judgment that keeps clients happy. Younger workers see slow adoption as a competitive disadvantage that holds the whole team back.

The survey also found that 64% of all respondents admit they aren't using AI tools to their full potential, which means this isn't purely a generational divide. It's a workplace-wide gap with a generational shape.

Phone calls, long meetings, and communication style clashes

Younger workers have a well-documented preference for digital communication. In a Robert Walters survey of about 2,000 white-collar professionals, 59% of younger workers said they prefer instant messaging or email over calls or meetings. Fifty percent reported feeling uncomfortable making phone calls, and only 11% saw calls and meetings as valuable.

Older workers see it differently. Nearly half, at 49%, said that less direct interaction will hurt professional relationships.

Neither side reads the other's preference charitably. Younger workers often interpret a preference for phone calls as inefficiency or discomfort with writing things down. Older workers often read a preference for text as avoidance or a lack of commitment.

Hours worked versus results

Seventy-one percent of Gen Z respondents in the Clari + Salesloft study said they believe Boomers value hours worked over results. Sixty-four percent of Boomers said Gen Z prioritizes work-life balance over business needs.

This is one of the most consistent tensions in generational workplace research. Younger workers tend to measure contribution by output. Older workers who built careers in environments where visibility and face time mattered often read early departures or firm boundaries around hours as a signal that someone isn't serious.

Both interpretations make sense given when each group entered the workforce. That doesn't make the tension any less real on a day-to-day level.

Setting limits on availability

Related to the hours debate is a sharper disagreement over what younger workers call boundary-setting.

Fifty-six percent of Gen Z respondents in the Clari + Salesloft research blamed Boomers for today's toxic work culture, pointing in part to expectations around after-hours availability. Older workers, who often built careers under norms that expected full availability, sometimes read the same behavior as entitlement.

Research from CompTIA found that 59% of Boomers describe younger workers as more entitled, while more than half of millennials say older workers are inflexible. Each side believes its own read of the workplace is simply accurate.

Jargon that doesn't translate

Both generations have developed workplace vocabulary the other finds impenetrable.

Younger workers use terms like "slay," "no cap," or "low-key" casually in workplace messaging. Older workers rely on phrases like "boil the ocean," "move the needle," or "circle back," which can land as vague or outdated to newer employees.

Research consistently shows that communication breakdowns at this level aren't just annoying. They slow decisions, create misunderstandings, and make cross-team collaboration harder than it needs to be.

But the data doesn't say everybody hates everybody

Here is where the headline falls apart.

An AARP survey of 1,000 working adults found that seven in ten workers said they enjoy working with colleagues from other generations, and 77% said having older colleagues gives them an opportunity to learn new skills. Sixty-nine percent said older employees make the work environment more productive.

The Korn Ferry research told a similar story: only 17% of Gen Z workers said they have no problems working across generations, which sounds low until you compare it to the other end. Forty-five percent of Boomers report no friction at all.

The conflict is lopsided. Younger workers feel it more acutely, in part because they have less power to set the terms of how work gets done.

Gen X as the bridge

Research from the Mather Institute and consultants at Korn Ferry both point to Gen X as the natural mediator in these conflicts.

Workers in their mid-40s to early 60s entered the workforce before widespread digital communication and have adapted to it. They often understand both camps from the inside. Korn Ferry describes them as "the ultimate interpreter and translator" across generations, positioned to model both the relationship-building older workers value and the results-first communication style younger workers prefer.

Teams with strong Gen X representation in management roles tend to report fewer communication breakdowns, in part because those managers have lived through both worlds.

Bottom line

Most employees get along with coworkers of different ages, but differences in technology, communication, and work habits can sometimes cause tension. The good news is that these challenges don't have to lead to workplace conflict.

Clear expectations, shared goals, and open communication can help employees work better together. Instead of focusing on age differences, focus on getting results and building strong relationships. If you're looking to earn extra money or advance your career, being someone who brings coworkers together can help you stand out.