Kevin O’Leary Says Employees Who Prioritize Work-Life Balance Should Work for Competitors
Kevin O’Leary stated that workers who close their laptops at 5 p.m. do not work for him. Surveys show Gen Z and millennial employees rank work-life balance as a top job factor and would accept lower pay to maintain it.
yourtango.comM. to attend events such as soccer games do not work for him. “I hope they work for my competitors,” O’Leary told CNBC in 2022. He described the quiet-quitting trend as a “really bad idea” and said advancement comes from solving problems beyond assigned duties.
M. Tuesday cutoff for more than 30 years.
A March KPMG report found Gen Z workers would accept a $5,000 pay cut to keep work-life boundaries. A Deloitte 2025 survey showed work-life balance ranked higher than salary for many Gen Z and millennial respondents when choosing employers. An ADP 2024 report indicated that 38 percent of workers value flexible hours.
Nela Richardson, ADP chief economist, said flexible arrangements are being “reprioritized along with other job attributes.
Key Facts
Story Timeline
4 events- 2022
O’Leary told CNBC he does not want employees who close laptops at 5 p.m.
1 sourceFortune - 2023
Marc Randolph posted that he maintained a Tuesday 5 p.m. office exit for over 30 years.
1 sourceFortune - 2024
ADP reported 38 percent of workers value flexible hours.
1 sourceFortune - March 2026
KPMG survey found Gen Z willing to accept $5,000 pay cut for work-life balance.
1 sourceFortune
Potential Impact
- 01
Companies emphasizing long hours may see higher turnover among younger workers.
- 02
Recruiters could adjust job postings to highlight schedule flexibility.
Transparency Panel
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