Younger workers struggle to understand older colleagues using sayings such as ‘rule of thumb’

Generation Z workers struggle to understand what older colleagues mean when they use phrases like “cut the mustard” and “back to the salt mines.”

A survey found that more than four in ten employees aged 18 to 24 complain that they often struggle to communicate effectively with older colleagues.

One of the problems was not understanding key words, phrases or ‘old-fashioned jargon’.

As a result, some younger employees feel they have little say in the company they work for and often feel left out.

Older employees might think it is in the interest of their young colleagues to make an effort to become familiar with the habits of senior employees.

The research was conducted by Rethinkly – an online coaching tool. It said its study showed how the age distribution affected business (stock image)

Phrases that confused the younger Britons included ‘rule of thumb’ and ‘pulling a dead horse’.

Laurence Brand, 22, from Harrow, northwest London, said his office was ‘full of oldies’.

The digital designer said he was interviewed by three men and a woman, all in their 50s who “kept saying things I had never heard before.”

He got the job ‘but I’m at least ten years the youngest in the company and sometimes I just have no idea what the rest are talking about’.

The research was conducted by Rethinkly – an online coaching tool. It said its study showed how the age distribution affected business.

A spokesman said: ‘Our research shows that Gen Zers struggle to communicate with their elders in the workplace.

“We found that 41 percent say they encounter difficulties with speech, while 28 percent say the inability to communicate in the workplace has had the biggest impact on productivity.”

Andrew Jackson, co-founder of Rethinkly, said, “Communication challenges are directly aligned with morale, productivity, and commitment.”