Man explains how different generations respond to work-life balance in today's times

Work-life balance is a tricky thing and one that is equally in the hands of the employer and the employee. Boundaries and time management are the tricks to nailing this professional challenge. While work seems to be getting more stressful by the day, so is managing time due to the many distractions one faces in their lives, especially the notification sounds of our phones or food. Cruz—who goes by @champagnecruze on TikTok—highlights the way different generations react to being asked to work through their lunch break by their bosses.

Cruz first impersonates Gen Z (the generation from the 1990s to the 2010s), where he’s dressed in a cool hat and a sleeveless sweater. Gen Z’s reaction to being asked to work through lunch is, “Immediately no. Decline. I’m not working through lunch. That’s toxic; it’s giving no work-life balance.” Gen Z immediately gets up from his chair and walks off while saying, “No, I’m going to go enjoy my lunch.” Next up are millennials (the generation from the early 1980s to the late 1990s). Cruz takes on the softer tone for millennials and can be seen sitting in a vibrant turquoise hoodie and hat, holding a box of salad that needs to be constantly shaken and he goes, “Literally, why are they scheduling it during my lunch hour? Oh my god, this is literally the one hour I get to myself. Un-freaking-believable.”

Cruz takes on the look of Gen X (the generation from the 1970s to the 1980s), wearing a shirt and a winter cap, smiling sweetly and popping open a can of Diet Coke, saying, “Oh yeah, no worries. Yeah, um, I was going to take lunch a little bit later anyway and I know this call is super important, right? So, it’s basically the only time we can meet, so yeah, no worries.” Next up are the boomers (the generation from 1946–1964), who can be seen wearing a full-body-covered formal suit with a little belly and glasses to give the middle-aged look. Cruz nails this impression by keeping a wide smile throughout and playing a character that desperately wants to earn validation and says, "Yeah, don’t sweat it, I’m happy to work through lunch. I got my chicken noodle soup right here.”

The video goes back to the millennials and the turquoise-dressed employee can be seen saying, “I’m here, but I’m going to be camera-off because I’m eating my lunch,” and rolling his eyes while shaking his salad. Gen Z can be seen taking a video of their lunch, which is actually just chicken bone broth and he says, “I’m giving this guy a try. I got it from Kreation, it’s supposed to be really good.” The video then goes to Gen X, who is still happily sipping the Diet Coke and jokes about it, saying, “Thank God for Diet Coke though, am I right? This guy right here has got me through one too many calls in the past.” The boomer can be seen still trying to impress his boss by saying, “I don’t leave my desk from the hours 9-5 pm,” adding a giggle of self-pride at the end and then continuing, “Plus, I can get ahead of schedule here and catch up on a few things.”

A hilarious montage of all the generations concludes the video with the millennial still shaking his salad, then chewing the lettuce and replying while eating, absolutely uninterested, “Umm hmm, sounds good to me.” Gen X is still shown sipping Diet Coke and the boomer is still trying to win the boss over by asking unnecessary questions to impress, “So, how’s your week going though? Pretty good?” Back to Gen Z, there’s no one to be seen on the desk because they never agreed to it in the first place.

The comments section roared with laughter and debated which generation was the most accurate. @yoyowat1 said, “I think the most accurate thing is that the Boomer scheduled the call.” Another user, @dimeyybaby, said, “Nah why us millennials be so mad about doing our jobs?" While the depiction of each generation does feel relatable in some parts or the other, what’s funny is the way Cruz has tried to portray each character. It definitely brought out some laughs and some lessons in boundaries as well.

You can follow Cruz (@champagnecruze) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 30, 2023. It has since been updated.