The latest workplace trend that’s decentring work for a generation of young workers.
Ever been mid-holiday, lying on a beach somewhere with a drink in hand and imagining what it would be like to just… not go back to work?
Your inbox has been slowly piling up, you have 78 Slack notifications from at least 6 different people, and invites to five meetings before 1pm on your first day back.
Staying on the beach forever sounds pretty nice (in theory). But opting out of work isn’t realistic for most Australians.
So Gen Z are finding ways to engage in work without the stress that sometimes comes with it.
Career minimalism is a workplace trend where people choose low-stress jobs with less responsibility to achieve better work-life balance.
It’s part of a post-pandemic movement where a new generation of employees prioritise passions and hobbies over their day job.
Deloitte’s 2026 Gen Z and Millennial survey found 23% of Gen Z and 29% of Millennial Australians rate maintaining a good work-life balance as their top career goal.
For younger workers, achieving balance actually ranked higher than achieving financial independence or becoming experts in their field.
Get this: Gen Z workers are also leaving roles faster than their older peers did at the same stage in their careers.
Get this: global research from Randstad, covering 11,250 workers across 15 markets, found the average time a Gen Z stays in a job during the first five years of their career is just 1.1 years.
Millennials stayed for 1.8 years on average.
Gen X stayed for 2.8 years.
And baby boomers stayed for 2.9 years.
All at the earliest stage of their respective careers.
So Gen Z are moving on from roles faster. And one in three plan to switch again within the year.
Career minimalism might look like quitting a high-pressure management role to work a lower-skilled job… and pursue a passion project on the side.
Or, rejecting a promotion at work because you don’t want to take on additional workload (and the higher pay that comes with it).
Some people are even taking pay cuts to opt out of the daily grind, in favour of a job where they can switch their brain off at work.
Why? To use that brain space when they’re off the clock to focus on their passions and hobbies.
The percentage of Australians working multiple jobs has risen to 6.9%, according to June data from ABS. That’s the highest level since records began in 1994.
Westpac research from November 2025 found that 27% of Aussies are making money from a side hustle. So it’s not that people aren’t working. They just aren’t engaging in work in the traditional sense.
And most side hustles are actually about money, not passion. Westpac found that 77% of side hustlers are doing it for the extra income.
So while the career-minimising setup works for some people… it might not work for everyone's financial situation.
What are the pros?
What are the cons?
Should you be minimising your career?
Only you can answer that! It depends entirely on your values, your financial situation and what line of work you’re in. The way we work has changed dramatically over the past five years alone (remember when WFH was barely a thing?!).
And as workplace trends continue to evolve, it might just mean our CVs look less like a ladder and more like a zigzag.
All information contained in the Flux app, www.flux.finance, www.joinflux.com, app.flux.finance and any podcast of Flux Media Pty Ltd (ABN 27 639 804 345) is for education and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional financial, legal or tax advice. While we do our best to provide accurate information, we accept no responsibility for any inaccuracies that may be communicated. Flux does not operate under an Australian financial services licence and relies on the exemption available under section 911A(2)(eb) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and ASIC RG 36.66. Flux Technologies Pty Ltd provides general advice on credit products under our own Australian Credit Licence No. 530103. The product information presented does not constitute an offer, and we are not recommending or suggesting any particular product.
Sign up for Flux and join 100,000 members of the Flux family
