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7 Reasons Everybody Hates Their Boomer Coworkers (And Honestly, We Kind of Get It)

Are you guilty of these grating habits?

By Sarah Sharkey , Edited by Calista Headrick

Updated Oct. 10, 2026

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Although many Baby Boomers are on track for retirement, many Baby Boomers remain solidly in the workforce. With decades of experience, many Boomers are valued employees. But lots of their younger coworkers have valid gripes over how most of the older generation chooses to interact in the workplace.

This guide explores many of the annoying habits that often drive younger workers crazy.

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Reply-all emails

It's unfortunate. But we've all received a mass email 'reply-all' from a Boomer who meant to reply to the sender individually. Since no one wants extra clutter in their inbox, the constant stream of mistaken reply-all emails from Boomers can be highly annoying to their younger counterparts.

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Turning everything into a meeting

Sometimes a quick message can truly solve an issue. Even if that's true, Baby Boomers seem especially resistant to the idea that messages can actually replace meetings. Instead, many Boomers often insist on blocking out time to meet, either over the phone or in person, to tackle something that could have been an email.

The wasted time can add up to a major inconvenience for more tech-savvy workers.

Emphasis on long hours

Many Boomers see long hours as a part of the job. Even if the company only pays workers for 40 hours, some Boomers think that working longer hours is necessary. Not only do they want to work longer hours, but they also expect their coworkers to work longer hours as well. This can often lead to tension across generational lines because many younger cohorts prefer to prioritize work-life balance.

Limited recognition

As a group, Boomers generally expect less recognition for a job well done. That often translates into providing limited positive recognition to their younger coworkers for doing a good job. In contrast, younger generations thrive on more frequent recognition. The disconnect leaves many younger workers frustrated with a lack of recognition and older workers not sure where they went wrong.

Tech resistance

It's no surprise that many Baby Boomers are resistant to new technologies. With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the divide between the generations has never seemed more stark.

Many in Gen Z say that Boomers' tech resistance is killing innovation. In fact, it's so discouraging for many Gen Z workers that 28% are frustrated enough to look for a new job where they can avoid Boomers.

Remote work attitudes

Many younger workers assume that Baby Boomers are against the idea of remote work. But in reality, many Boomers have embraced remote working opportunities. In fact, 37% of Baby Boomers prefer a fully remote work situation, which is more than any other age group.

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Unhealthy workplace norms

In a recent survey, 56% of Gen Z workers blamed Boomers for today's toxic work culture. It's difficult to bridge the gap between generations when younger workers continue to blame Boomers for a bad work situation. But it's hard to argue with the idea that Baby Boomers do seem to prioritize long hours over work-life balance, with 64% of Boomers saying that Gen Z prioritizes work-life balance over business needs.

Are generational differences overstated?

It's true many Baby Boomers have annoying workplace habits. But that's true of every generation. As the world shifts, each new generation has its own issues in the workplace. With the advent of AI, the differences seem to be underlined.

Even in the shifting workplace, it's possible for coworkers of all generations to get along and do great work. Instead of focusing on the negatives for each generation, it's best to focus on the positives. Right now, Boomers have a lot of experience that younger workers could benefit from. On the other hand, younger workers appear to be more adept at learning and implementing new technology into their workflows.

As a manager, it's important to find common ground between your older and younger workers. Finding ways to use each generation's strengths may lead to the best outcomes.

Bottom line

It's clear that many Baby Boomers have some annoying workplace habits. But other generations have their own strange quirks that can make them difficult to work with.

For Boomers ready to leave their job behind, finding ways to stretch your retirement dollars further could offer a path out of the office.

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