Indian professionals across age groups are working longer hours and feeling burnt out at similar rates, challenging the idea that overwork affects generations differently, a new survey has found. It stated that 72 percent of Indian employees reported working for more than the legal 48‑hour week, while 83 percent said they have experienced burnout.
The survey was conducted by Blind, an anonymous app for 13 million verified professionals, between January 23 and 31 this year, with 1,677 professionals in India. It showed that stress and toxic workplace experiences cut across Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers.
Quiet disengagement is the most common response
When work starts feeling toxic, quiet disengagement — doing the minimum required — was the top response across generations. The survey found that 39 percent of Gen Z and Gen X, 33 percent of Millennials, and 29 percent of Boomers said they withdraw quietly rather than confront issues.
Gen Z were the least likely to “endure and adapt” (19 percent), but overall, most respondents said they first try to cope or raise concerns internally before quitting. Between 16 percent and 24 percent across generations said they would flag issues to managers.
Late-night messages seen as overused
Attitudes toward late‑night messages were almost the same across age groups. Around half of all respondents said after‑hours messages are sometimes necessary but often misused. A quarter of Gen X and about one‑fifth of other generations viewed them as a sign of poor management.
Ban on side hustles trigger similar response
If a company banned or discovered a side job, 36 percent of Gen Z, 31 percent of Millennials, and 29 percent of Gen X said they would look for another job. Boomers were more likely to stop immediately, but overall responses remained similar across ages.
The findings reflect economist Albert Hirschman’s Exit‑Voice‑Loyalty‑Neglect framework, which explains how people react when workplaces do not address problems. Quiet quitting aligns with “neglect,” a passive stage that often follows attempts to speak up.
As one Apple employee commented on Blind, “As far as Gen X vs Z vs Millennials, it’s all mindset,” suggesting disengagement has less to do with age — and more to do with how workplaces respond.