Gen Z and the ‘Bare Minimum Mondays’ Movement: What Employers Need to Know

There’s a new trend slowly emerging in the workplace, and Generation Z is at the forefront. You have probably heard of Quiet Quitting, Job Ghosting, etc., which have been doing rounds on the internet. Now, there is the “Bare Minimum Mondays” that employers need to know. There are no prizes for guessing what it implies. Many studies point to the notoriety of Mondays for being difficult, demanding, and inducing stress. Employees may experience ‘Sunday Scaries’ in anticipation of the overwhelming workload, demanding meetings and deliverables, and lack of motivation typically associated with starting a new workweek. This shared reluctance towards Mondays has driven the rise of a new coping trend called ‘Bare Minimum Mondays’ or BMM in the workplace.

Popularized on TikTok and permeating across organizations worldwide, BMM refers to gradually easing into work at the start of the week to keep stress low and mental health a priority. 

The practice of ‘Bare Minimum Mondays’ is most common among younger workers (Gen Z and younger millennials) who, according to Gallup, report feeling more overall stress and work-related burnout than Boomers or Gen X. 

While it makes sense to experience a dip in productivity and opt to “take it easy” when starting a new workweek, the viral spread of phenomena like Bare Minimum Monday and Monday Blues should concern business leaders. It may very well indicate stressful work conditions and an increased prevalence of burnout in younger workforces. 

This article discusses the new BMM workplace productivity trend helping employees cope with Monday Blues and improve work-life balance for Gen Z.

What are ‘Bare Minimum Mondays’?

Bare Minimum Mondays isn’t about avoiding work. It’s a concept that allows for a deliberate slowdown to help ease the transition into work after a weekend. This is done to address the negative perceptions and feelings associated with Mondays.

The way it plays out is workers may typically focus on self-care and stress mitigation by undertaking a scaled-down workload at the beginning of the week. Some common BMM practices include:

• Logging in slightly later in the morning.

• Starting the workweek with low-stress tasks, like answering emails or sorting out workloads.

• Holding off morning meetings until later in the day or keeping cameras turned off during meetings.

• Deliberately working at a decreased pace.

• Integrating self-care in the initial hours, like meditation or journaling, to keep mental health a priority.

Bare Minimum Mondays could be viewed either as a sign of disengagement and burnout (which may spell retention and productivity challenges for employers) or be embraced as a clever approach for managing stress and employee burnout prevention. In either case, ignoring the trend may not be the best course of action. Organizations may need to examine the reasons driving these changing work culture trends and work around them to support employee well-being and productivity.

Impact of ‘Bare Minimum Mondays’ at the Workplace

The BMM trend plays out differently across industries and roles. While some employers believe workers embracing coping trends like BMM can lead to better morale and productivity, many others may find it difficult to keep work flowing smoothly.

Potential Benefits of Bare Minimum Mondays:

• Improved mental health: Beginning the week with less strain on the self can reduce workplace stress and burnout. Employees may feel more prepared and mentally charged to navigate the workweek by starting slow.

• Higher productivity on other workdays: A quieter Monday might drive better productivity on the remaining days of the week. BMM may help workers build momentum steadily through the week and get tasks completed since they don't feel overwhelmed with workload from the start.

By starting slow, employees may feel more prepared and mentally charged to navigate the workweek

• Greater employee retention: Companies that support trends that enable self-care, mental health, and work-life balance for Gen Z may be perceived positively by employees. This can help them improve retention and reduce turnover.

Challenges Arising Due to Bare Minimum Mondays

• Perpetuating low productivity: Employees may get caught in the trappings of such practices, leading them to deliver the bare minimum every day, not just on Mondays. This can be potentially concerning for companies seeking higher productivity and business outcomes.

• Disruptions in workflow: Managers may struggle to get teams on the same page if employees choose to dial back on specific days. Team progress might be hampered as BMM may disrupt workflow for entire teams.

• Uneven workload distribution: A few employees opting to slow down on Mondays may spell increased workload on other team members. Plus, not every job can justify a slow start to the week, which may make it challenging to adopt BMM across the board.

What Employers Can Do about Bare Minimum Mondays?

Gen Z work trends like BMM can disrupt everyday operations. However, discouraging them altogether or even dismissing their prevalence may not be the best course of action. Instead, employers can use the Bare Minimum Mondays trend as a learning opportunity to improve workplace culture. 

Here’s how this might be done:

    1. Encourage flexible work arrangements

Offering flexible options like hybrid setups, adjustable hours, or remote work may ensure employees, by default, begin their work week on their terms. This allows workers to line up tasks as they see fit and build momentum on task accomplishment throughout the week while tackling stress, lack of motivation, and anxiety. 

    2. Reduce Monday pressure

Proactively reducing Monday's workload can help employees avoid anxiety and dread associated with starting a new work week after a two-day weekend time off. Managers may manage task allocation to reduce pressure, cut back on early morning meetings, etc., so employees can ease into the week without feeling overwhelmed. Task batching may also help. Allowing employees to start with lightweight tasks before moving to high-impact activities might help develop a more positive attitude towards work.

    3. Focus on mental health initiatives

Employers may prioritize their workers’ well-being to ensure they stay engaged and committed to doing good work. Implementing wellness initiatives like Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) or offering wellness days can nudge organizations toward building sustainable workplaces. It may effectively contribute to employee burnout prevention.

    4. Shift from hours to outcomes

Employers may shift focus from tracking start and logout times to driving quality outcomes. Concentrating on supporting employees in getting work done rather than how they get it done may help build a more driven and goal-oriented team.

    5. Identify underlying causes

Determining the factors that make trends like ‘Bare Minimum Mondays’ appeal to employees may help shed light on prevalent cultural issues. Offering platforms, forums, or surveys through which employees may open up about workplace-related stress, burnout symptoms, and overall satisfaction with work can lead to solutions that uplift and support both teams and businesses.

    6. Encourage open communication

Managers may encourage employees to keep lines of communication open regarding workloads, boundaries, personal difficulties, etc. Based on these insights, managers may adjust task allocation and deadlines and provide support for achieving goals.

Changing Work Culture Trends

Trends like Bare Minimum Mondays show how workplaces are shifting with different generations pushing for mental health and balance. The impact of BMM, or any other trend, may not always be straightforward. There may be challenges, but opportunities exist to re-evaluate priorities and unhealthy practices. 

Companies that evolve with changing millennial or Gen Z job expectations may reap significant benefits. These include improved well-being, higher productivity, and top talent retention.