Episode Details

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture.

This week we’re exploring what employees and leaders are really looking for at work right now — and how it’s shaping leadership behaviour, burnout, employee wellbeing, and workplace culture.

🔥 Stories covered

Why are Gen Z leaving jobs so quickly?

According to a Fast Company article by Jeff LeBlanc, Gen Z workers aren’t job-hopping out of disloyalty. They’re growth hunting.

The research shows:

• Nearly half of Gen Z plan to leave roles for better growth, not higher pay

• 86% won’t upskill without employer funding

• 43% feel too burnt out to learn outside work hours

• Cost, not motivation, is the biggest barrier to development

This reflects a wider shift in workplace expectations. When organisations talk about growth but don’t support it structurally, people move on. Gen Z isn’t rejecting work — they’re rejecting stagnation.

🔗 https://www.fastcompany.com/91452297/the-rise-of-growth-hunting-why-gen-z-changes-jobs-so-oftengenz-job-hopping

Jeff previously joined Truth, Lies & Work to discuss Gen Z, burnout, and leadership psychology: https://truthliesandwork.com/episodes/207-what-happens-when-leaders-start-being-kind-with-jeff-leblanc

You can also explore his book Engaged Empathy Leadership for practical, science-backed management advice: https://www.amazon.com/Engaged-Empathy-Leadership-Redefining-Action-ebook/dp/B0FCGSC48C

Does complaining at work make teams less resilient?

Research highlighted by Stanford suggests that repeated complaining rewires the brain.

Over time:

• Neural pathways linked to stress and threat detection strengthen

• Baseline stress levels rise

• Small irritations feel bigger

• Negativity becomes automatic

For leaders, this matters. Teams that normalise constant complaining may unintentionally reduce resilience, decision-making quality, and psychological safety.

🔗 https://x.com/shiningscience/status/2013113758386987099

What employee wellbeing benefits actually reduce burnout?

After a LinkedIn post went viral, Slate introduced a $200 monthly cleaning stipend for employees.

Why this matters for employee wellbeing:

• It removes friction instead of adding effort

• It gives people time and mental space back

• It supports carers and those under chronic time pressure

• Research consistently links cluttered environments to higher stress

This reframes wellbeing away from “one more thing to do” and towards burnout prevention.

🔗 https://fortune.com/2026/01/15/company-adds-cleaning-services-as-employee-benefit-what-hr-leaders-can-learn/

🔥 Truth or Lie

Can you manifest success just by visualising it?

Lie — if it’s about imagining outcomes alone.
Truth — when visualisation is used to plan actions and eff