“Haih, Gen Z these days. When the boss asks them to work overtime because there’s not enough staff, they can actually tell the boss, ‘I don’t want to OT, I want to go home on time.’”
A Malaysian employer has sparked debate online after expressing surprise over a Gen Z employee who declined paid overtime, choosing instead to leave work on time.
In a post shared on Threads, Haziq Zick said the employee turned down the offer to work overtime despite being informed that it would be fully paid, explaining that they preferred to go home on time.
“Haih, Gen Z these days. When the boss asks them to work overtime because there’s not enough staff, they can actually tell the boss, ‘I don’t want to OT, I want to go home on time,’” he wrote.
Haziq also stressed that the overtime was not meant to be compensated through time-off replacement.
“By the way, this OT is paid, okay — not a time-off claim,” he added.
Taken aback by the response, Haziq reflected on how workplace dynamics were different in the past, saying employees were more likely to comply when asked by their superiors.
“Back in my day, if the boss said something, we’d just agree. They’re the boss after all,” he said.
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The post quickly drew mixed reactions from netizens, with many weighing in on whether refusing paid overtime should be seen as a lack of work ethic or a matter of personal boundaries.
One user, @nhza_z.a, argued that the issue was not about Gen Z refusing to work, but about consent and boundaries.
“Even paid overtime can’t be forced, because employees still have personal commitments. Saying ‘open your own company’ ignores the reality that work-life balance and labour laws exist for a reason. If this rule is meant to cover staff on medical leave, what about those who already had commitments planned days, weeks or even months earlier?” the user wrote.
However, some netizens came to the younger generation’s defence. User @aahnis urged employers to stop blaming Gen Z and instead respect employees’ decisions to decline overtime.
“If someone doesn’t want to OT, respect that decision. It means they value their life after work. The excuse of asking Gen Z to OT just because they’re single, young or living alone is already outdated,” the user commented.
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