At a Glance
- Silicon Valley pushes employees back to office and experiments with shoeless workspaces.
- Startups such as Notion, Gusto, Supercell, Replicate, and Rime Labs adopt no-shoe policies.
- Snack bars are stocked with nicotine pouches like Zyn, with Palantir leading the trend.
- Why it matters: Firms are blending remote-work comforts with in-office culture to keep Gen Z engaged.
Over the past year, Silicon Valley has pushed workers back into offices, and now firms are experimenting with policies-like shoeless workspaces and nicotine-pouch snack bars-to win over a young, Gen Z-heavy workforce.
Shoeless Offices
The no-shoe movement, highlighted by New York Times, has spread to startups that encourage employees to leave their shoes at the door. Ben Lang, an employee at the shoeless AI coding company Cursor, created Noshoes.fun to help job seekers find companies with this policy. Companies on the list include Notion, Gusto, Supercell, Replicate, and Rime Labs.
- Notion
- Gusto
- Supercell
- Replicate
- Rime Labs
Nicotine Pouches in Snack Bars
According to Wall Street Journal, some startups are filling snack bars with Zyn and other nicotine pouches. Palantir, led by Alex Karp, reportedly supports this trend as a way for employees to calm after intense product updates. The move reflects a shift toward more indulgent office amenities.
Gen Z Expectations
Companies are grappling with a workforce that expects more work-life balance, boundaries, and respect. Some firms are sending Gen Z employees to etiquette classes, per a CBS News report, to help them adapt to office norms. Executives label Gen Z as “undisciplined,” “entitled,” and “lazy,” though such slurs are common across generations.
Key Takeaways
- Shoeless offices aim to bring home-comfort to in-office work.
- Nicotine pouches are becoming a standard snack-bar feature at some tech firms.
- Gen Z workers seek better boundaries and respect, prompting new training and policies.
As Silicon Valley continues to tweak office culture, the success of these experiments will hinge on whether they genuinely address the needs of Gen Z workers.
By James O Connor Fields at News Of Philadelphia
