Why are younger generations experiencing more stress at work than everyone else?

On this episode of Less Stress, More Joy, leadership coach Amy Leneker shares new insights from her national study on stress and joy at work — including why Generation Z is experiencing significantly more workplace stress than older generations.

Amy explains the five types of work stress that affect employees, why sudden stress and schedule stress are hitting Gen Z the hardest, and what leaders can do to create healthier workplaces across generations.

If you lead a team, work with younger employees, or simply want to understand how stress impacts today’s workforce, this episode offers practical ideas for creating workplaces with less stress, more joy, and zero toxic positivity.

On this episode you'll learn:

• Why Gen Z experiences more stress at work

• The five types of workplace stress affecting teams

• Why sudden stress has the biggest negative impact

• How schedule stress and meetings increase workplace pressure

• How leaders can reduce stress and remove barriers to joy

Because joy at work isn’t a luxury — it’s what helps people do their best work.

Chapters:

00:00 Gen Z Stress Preview

00:51 Study Setup and Generations

02:24 Two Big Takeaways

05:34 Five Types of Work Stress

07:56 Fix Sudden and Schedule Stress

13:15 Talk About Impact Without Stereotypes

17:09 Barriers to Joy and Wrap Up

Pre-order: Cheers to Monday, The Surprisingly Simple Strategy to Lead & Live With Less Stress & More Joy everywhere books are sold. Questions?  amy@amyleneker.com.

The State of Stress & Joy at Work 2026