A staggering number of Australian workers would rather have a tooth extracted at the dentist than socialise with colleagues outside of work hours. There may be many people across the country who dislike their 9-to-5 jobs, and their co-workers can have a big influence on that attitude.

Indeed’s job site survey found that 31 percent of respondents, or 3.8 million people, really don’t like spending time with their colleagues at pre- or post-work events. Indeed career expert Sally McKibbin said: Yahoo Finance this is a trend that has been developing for several years.

“If we think about working from home and work-life balance being so important to Australians, it (connecting with colleagues) can feel like a bit of a chore when there are other things you’d rather be doing,” she said.

RELATED

Young Australians are leading the charge to reimagine the workplace, with 35% of millennials and 30% of Gen Z agreeing that socialising with co-workers in your free time is brutal.

By comparison, this percentage is just 29% among Generation X and baby boomers, and 21% among people born during the baby boom period.

Almost half of Australian workers (48%) have lied to avoid a social event after work, with Gen Z (53%) and Millennials (47%) most likely to do so.

Young Australians are avoiding after-work drinks because they no longer drink as much as previous generations of workers.

The cost of living also affects how much cash people can spend, which has led some to become more selective about how they allocate those funds.

Is it better to have dinner with coworkers if you can’t afford to have it with friends?

The story continues

Journalist and Yahoo contributor Adam Lucuis lamented the slow decline of after-work socializing, saying it helped him build better professional and personal relationships (it’s how he met his wife) in his younger years.

“Lasting friendships were formed during these sessions – some of which continue to this day – and many problems were solved and new ideas were generated,” he wrote to Yahoo Finance.

“I think we were just enjoying each other’s company, as funny as that may sound in today’s rush-in, rush-out work environment.

“I’m sad to read that the tradition of having drinks after work has gone out of style.”

Got a story? Email [email protected]

Do we have to socialise outside of work hours?

After-work drinks, seasonal parties and milestones at work have been an integral part of workplace behaviour for years.

However, many people on social media are wondering if these events are worth their time.

“Some people have lives outside of work and we shouldn’t feel bad about not going out socially,” one woman said.

“The most annoying thing is that people at work will try to make you feel bad, they will tell you that you don’t want to hang out with them or get to know them. Yes, I don’t. I can get to know you during work hours. I don’t have to take time out of work to get to know you.”

“I think it should only apply to working hours,” suggested an Australian worker.

“I think you can spend a whole day or half a day on it outside of work hours, but then I don’t want to spend a whole day on it because I feel like I have better things to do.”

“Even taking a break in the break room with other coworkers still feels like work,” another woman added. “You’ll never catch me at happy hour with work. If I’m not getting paid to be my work self, you know, my cover-up self, I’m not going.”

McKibbin said Yahoo Finance that workplaces looking to host team-building exercises or team-building events should seriously consider hosting them during working hours if they want high attendance.

A similar view was expressed in a recent report by the Work Foundation, a think tank at Lancaster University, and the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking.

“While ‘after-work drinks’ have long been an integral part of social life and work culture, recent years have seen a shift in attitudes towards organising workplace social activities outside of working hours or around the consumption of alcohol,” the report notes.

What do Australians hate most about their colleagues?

Hate may be a strong word, but Australians don’t hide what gets on their nerves when it comes to interactions with their colleagues.

Topping the list was lack of personal hygiene.

Most annoying work habits

• Poor personal hygiene (58 percent)

• Gossiping (49 percent)

• Being messy (49 percent)

• Speaking for others (48 percent)

• Invasion of personal space (42 percent)

Bosses also fared badly in the study, with 51 percent of employees saying a hypocritical manager made their anger levels go from zero to 100, as well as micromanaging (49 percent) and having unrealistic expectations (48 percent).

These are issues that are reported during work hours, so it is understandable why some people do not want to deal with these behaviors or issues during their free time.

McKibbin said that if you are struggling with relationships with other coworkers, you need to find your voice and speak up.

“I think there just needs to be a lot more open communication… whether it’s directly with a colleague and creating a safe environment in which to have those types of conversations, or talking to a manager and making sure they’re actually dealing with those types of issues as well,” she said. Yahoo Finance.

Get the latest news from Yahoo Finance – follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn AND Instagram.