For a growing number of Gen Z workers, the lunch break is no longer just a chance to eat. It has become an opportunity to recover from workplace stress.
Some young employees are leaving the office during the workday to nap in movie theatres or seek out secluded spaces, including fitting rooms and train stations, to cry before returning to work. Behind the viral social media posts is a broader workplace trend, with research showing nearly half of Gen Z office workers have been reduced to tears because of work-related stress.
The behaviour reflects wider concerns about burnout, workplace culture and the pressures facing employees early in their careers.
From viral videos to a wider workplace trend
One example highlighted by Fortune involved Ben Sanderson, who bought a $15 cinema ticket in New York, not to watch a film but to sleep through the screening before returning to work.
After sharing the experience on TikTok, his post attracted more than one million views, with users recommending their own quiet places to take breaks during the working day.
Another TikTok creator shared locations across New York where employees could leave their desks to cry, including subway stations, the Williamsburg Bridge and fitting rooms at Zara Soho.
While these posts were presented humorously, Fortune noted they reflect a larger issue affecting many young professionals.
Research points to growing emotional strain
Several studies cited by Fortune suggest workplace stress is becoming increasingly visible among younger employees.
The findings include:
- Nearly half of Gen Z office workers say workplace stress has made them cry.
- Around 40% of young corporate hires in the UK's largest 2025 survey considered quitting within their first year.
- More than 208 million incidents of workplace incivility occurred each day in US workplaces during the first quarter of 2025, according to one report.
- Research by Resume Now found 61% of employees have been thrown under the bus at work.
- Nearly one-third said they witness this behaviour every week.
- One in four employees reported their manager had set them up to fail.
Together, the figures point to workplace culture as a significant contributor to employee wellbeing, particularly for younger workers entering corporate environments.
Office life remains a challenge for many young workers
Concerns about the traditional workplace are not new.
In 2023, a TikTok video showing a recent graduate becoming emotional over the demands of a full-time job sparked widespread debate about Gen Z's expectations of work.
According to Fortune, many younger workers continue to describe conventional nine-to-five jobs as "soul-sucking."
Some have responded by:
- Building multiple income streams.
- Leaving traditional employment to work independently.
- Becoming full-time content creators.
- Choosing skilled trades instead of corporate careers.
Others, however, remain in office jobs because financial pressures limit their options.
Cost pressures and AI add to uncertainty
According to Fortune, younger employees are navigating workplace stress alongside rising living costs, growing concerns about artificial intelligence replacing entry-level roles and a difficult employment market.
The publication also highlighted findings from Harvard's Flourishing Measure, which suggest younger adults are reporting lower levels of wellbeing than previous generations. The research found the traditional pattern of happiness peaking during youth has flattened until around the age of 50.
For many employees, leaving a stressful workplace is not financially realistic. Instead, some are finding temporary ways to cope during the working day while continuing to search for better opportunities.
The trend highlights a growing challenge for employers. Mental wellbeing, workplace culture and respectful management are becoming central to employee retention, particularly among younger generations entering the workforce.