A LinkedIn post by HR professional Riya Dadhich recently went viral after she recounted an incident in which a 25-year-old Gen Z candidate rejected a job offer from her company. The reason? The potential requirement to work on Saturdays. What began as a moment of irritation for Dadhich soon became a moment of reflection, prompting her to publicly express her admiration for the young woman’s honesty and self-awareness.
Dadhich, a Talent Acquisition Specialist at Firstsource, explained that the candidate’s candid response challenged long-held corporate beliefs about loyalty, ambition and resilience — and forced her to confront the cultural norms she herself had come to accept as standard.
“‘These Gen Z kids have no patience. No loyalty. No hunger’ — I’ve heard this more times than I can count. In interview debriefs. Coffee breaks. Leadership meetings. Even LinkedIn thought pieces with 5,000 likes,” Dadhich wrote in her post.
She then recalled the moment of the interview that prompted her reflection. “Last month, a 25-year-old candidate turned down an offer because I asked if she was okay working the occasional Saturday,” she said. “She smiled and said: ‘I’m committed to delivering my best — but I don’t want a career that burns me out by 30.’”
Dadhich admitted that her immediate reaction was one of mild annoyance. “I’ll be honest — My first reaction? Slight irritation. My second? Deep respect,” she wrote.
The HR professional went on to praise the candidate’s courage in saying out loud what many, particularly from older generations, were conditioned to suppress in the workplace. “She had the guts to say what many of us never could,” Dadhich wrote. “We were taught to stay silent. To smile while working late. To see burnout as ambition. To say yes when we should’ve said no. And now?”
She added, “Maybe the problem isn’t Gen Z. Maybe it’s the culture we survived and now subconsciously try to uphold. It made me tougher. No. It made us tired. They’re not the problem. They’re the correction.”
The post quickly gained traction on LinkedIn, resonating with thousands of professionals who lauded both the young woman for her clarity and Dadhich for her introspective honesty. Many users shared similar sentiments, highlighting how conversations around mental health, burnout, and work-life balance are finally entering mainstream corporate discourse — not just in India, but globally.
"While many netizens have been trolling Gen Z, I actually think the boundaries they're setting in the workplace are much needed. I wish I had the courage to refuse work requests at 9PM and turn off my phone on Sundays," a user wrote.
Another user commented, "Kudos for speaking up. Most won’t admit this, but the truth is—work culture needs a reset. Employees are so busy trying to outdo each other that we forget the power of standing together and saying no to toxic expectations."
"Defining priorities is the most important job as the lines between work and personal time gets blurred especially when we are connected to our jobs 24*7 thanks to "productivity" tools like Slack/Outlook/Zoom etc. Personally, over my 17+ years of corporate experience, I have rejected multiple job offers where they needed me to work 6 days a week as I believe spending time with family and rejuvenating over the weekend is extremely important. It does not mean that when needed under special circumstances, I have not burnt the midnight oil or worked weekends but I could never agree to make exceptions as the norm. Glad to see Gen Z holding their own and prioritising in life," a third user remarked.
Meanwhile, a small section of users also disagreed with Dadhich.
"There is a fine line between guts and foolishness. I hope to god I speak for everyone reading this when I say if you are 25 and believe an occasional Saturday will burn you out, you have a serious problem. Hard work pays huge benefits. Do you think Michael Jordan's father said 'don't work too hard son?' No, he worked hard and kicked everyone's butt for 15 years. With our economy going global you better be prepared to work as hard as the other person who is competing for your job," a user noted.
"You are unnecessarily over analyzing and glorifying a no-brainer - this candidate in question has the financial and emotional security to choose the T & Cs of her job. If she didn't, she would have grabbed the offer with both hands, and be posting her 'success' on social media," a user weighed in.
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