268. Does complaining at work rewire your brain? PLUS! Gen Z growth hunting, wellbeing perks and how to manifest success

2026-01-20

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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 sho...

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 effort.

Psychology shows visualising the process increases follow-through. Imagining success without action often reduces motivation.
💬 Workplace Surgery — practical management advice

This week we answer: