Must-watch piece from this past weekend's 60 Minutes on Gen Y / the "Millennials" in the workforce.

"Generation Y" supposedly starts anywhere between 1980 (as mentioned in the video) and 1983. I like to consider myself a member of both X and Y, honestly, so I can avoid the negative stigmas of both and take just the positives! :)

Seriously, this is turning into one of the more interesting social issues in America. The big question after watching the video and reading on this topic is: does this new approach to work, both from the employer's point of view, as well as the employee's, increase productivity?

If so, it's worth it, because I agree completely with the sentiment expressed in the 60 Minutes piece that this generation is absolutely not going to go and repeat mistakes made by the previous generation. The old generation almost viewed getting "burned out" at work, and the ensuing personal problems that arise from that, as a rite of passage to the CEO's chair.

That sort of outdated thinking is exactly what is rightfully under attack by this current generation. Work-life balance is critical.

However, there are certainly plenty of people who willingly leave "work" out of that so-called "work-life balance." Employers should have a much lower tolerance for Gen Y'ers who come into a new job with an attitude or an axe to grind. Employers have plenty of power to balance this movement out with a good bit of common sense.

Part of this whole thing is the media once again taking something and blowing it so completely out of proportion that no one can make any sense of it. For this reason, I don't blame the backlash that's begun to form.

Yes, there's a movement among young people in America to maintain work-life balance, make companies work hard (like they should) to engender loyalty, and to feel good about what it is they do every day. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Generation Y has determined that work-life balance is now a requirement of corporate America, and in time, I'm convinced that it will be a big factor in rising productivity and competitiveness within the domestic economy...not some sign of the apocalypse that sends us spiraling out of control.