Stop the churn and burn workers strategy

Certain unscrupulous employers have adopted a churn-and-burn approach with younger workers. This involves frontloading the workforce with younger workers who are given demanding tasks and long working hours but few opportunities for career advancement.

Employers know that many of these workers will quit at some point because they feel they have hit a career ceiling or, most likely, are burnt out.

Disaffected or exhausted workers are quickly replaced by a fresh batch of young talent who are also unlikely to advance their careers within the organisation, thereby perpetuating the cycle.

The churn-and-burn approach is reflective of an “earn your stripes” type of culture, in which young workers must put in the hard yards to be able to establish themselves, progress and achieve the oft-elusive work-life balance later in their careers.

Younger workers do not have the experience to know what is okay and what is not and so are generally more accepting of what the boss says is normal. They then find themselves dealing with massive workloads – and speaking up about it does not always end well.

Only very few will end up staying with an exploitative employer for long enough to get to the point where they can rise through the ranks.

Exploitation of young workers can lead them to experience early career burnout or feel inadequate or a failure.

There are significant downsides, too, for organisations that choose to persist with taking advantage of impressionable young workers.

The pandemic has triggered a surge in awareness of the significance of a healthy work-life balance.

Like most workers, many younger employees are pushing for improved work conditions and are proactively seeking them, at the expense of the exploitative employer.

There are also those who have been burnt by unscrupulous employers and take to social media to “out” them.

And in the currently tight employment market, young people who sense they are being exposed to a less-than-favourable work environment can easily shop around for an employer who is less opportunistic.

We should not condone organisations that exploit the passion and ambition of the younger generation.