Silicon Valley reports describe the workplaces of America’s greatest legends as cold, dark, and lifeless.

This is not a big surprise. In recent years, the Bay Area, a hotbed for innovation, has become a major source of toxic ideas in the workplace. It’s things like promoting skin tone and gender preference and ditching merit and accomplishment.

Not just in the tech industry. Insiders at Boeing say that the employees have “lost their love for building airplanes”. What has replaced this? DEI. It is what you should embrace if your goal is to succeed. It became a way to power.”

In the Free Press, a 25-year-old senior business editor at National Public Radio wrote that “diversity – on our staff and our audience – was the overriding goal” and that “Race became paramount in almost every aspect of the workplace.”

These ideas have had the net effect of hollowing out America’s workforce. They’ve replaced the value placed on work by the value placed on one’s demographics.

America’s workers suffer for it.

Gen Z is the future of the American workforce. The workplace has been linked to mental health problems in Gen Z, according to study after study.

A study revealed that 55% of Gen Zers “report receiving a diagnosis or treatment for a psychological illness at work.” The Freedom Economy Index (FEI), a survey of 80,000 small-business owners, found 71% of employers believe Gen Zers to be the group most likely to experience a mental health problem in the workplace. 62% of employers also said Gen Zers were the most likely to create division and toxicity within the workplace.

Gen Z is the canary that should be in the coal mine. It’s no wonder phrases like “quiet quit” and “the big resignation” are now a thing.

What is wrong with the American workplace today? The simple answer is that we have lost sight of why work matters. Merit, personal growth, achievement, and accomplishment have been replaced by skin tone, gender, or sexual preference.

Nobody is happy now.

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace study found that 60% of employees are emotionally detachment at work. 50% of them feel stressed at work daily. 41% are worried. 22% are sad. 18% are angry. Nineteen percent of people describe themselves as “miserable.”

Gen Zers react by quitting repeatedly. Bankrate’s survey of 2023 job seekers found that Gen Zers were more likely than other generations to quit their jobs in the first 12 months.

What is the solution?

Employers need to reclaim American workplaces with the understanding that work has meaning and is a big part of who we are. Work is valuable.

These truths are important for the next generation. Employers must also return to rewarding excellence and accomplishment in the workplace. They should follow the old saying, “Whatever you subsidize, you will get more.”

It all starts with ending the DEI madness. This has been the main cause of workplace dissatisfaction and divineness. The merit-based American work environment cannot be restored as long as workers continue to be treated differently because of their race or gender.

Recent news reports suggest that the American public is beginning to grasp this concept. Recently, workplaces, newsrooms, and social media have been calling for DEI to deliver on its promises.

The only way to solve the problem is not to end DEI. America’s workers need to understand the value and meaning of work. The workplace culture should be nurturing and strong, with mentors available and plenty of training and resources.

Aligning the mission is equally important. Gen Z must be inspired by the company’s goals and aspirations to feel more proud of their achievements.

Why does Apple produce iPhones? With better communication tools, to improve the quality of life of people around the world. Tesla makes electric cars for what reason? To bring the next generation of transportation to people on the entire planet. Boeing makes airplanes for what reason? Helping families and businesses connect no matter where they are geographically. These inspiring missions do not divide people by skin color or gender.

America is known for its land of opportunity. In its first 200-year history, the American free market brought prosperity and opportunity to people from all backgrounds, regardless of their ancestry.

The free market has allowed Americans to create more revolutionary technology than any nation in history. The meritocracy of the workplace allowed for ideas to flourish and grow.

American businesses must rediscover that men and women were created equally. They must be treated as equals in the workplace, and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from accomplishments and merit.

Gen Z can achieve anything if you provide them with fertile ground to grow their career.