As I was heading out the door on a Sunday at 10am, my Millennial-aged daughter said to me "why is your work stealing so much time from you?" While it is true that I have always taken pride in a strong personal work ethic, I had never seen it from that perspective.

And what does my Millennial daughter see? A work era where 50% of people in Ontario are working contract jobs. Where many have no benefits. Where she sees that, despite their hard work, many baby boomers have lost their jobs.

With insecure employment, observation of the not-always-reciprocated loyalty of employers, plus the ongoing revelations of cultures that diminish or harm women, people of colour, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQI community, is it really a wonder that Millennials look at Baby Boomers and think "60 hour week, no thanks."

So here's my call out to my Baby Boomer peers. When we started working, jobs were full-time, permanent, and everyone had benefits. Today, as employers, we have not created that same environment. Before you complain too much about Millennials and their work ethic, ask yourself "am I creating a workplace that corrects the errors of the past but maintains the best aspects?"

If your organization only offers contract work, doesn't provide benefits, or doesn't have a clear system in place for dealing with harassment and assault, then don't be surprised if Millennials don't see why they should work overtime for that cause.

Ann Rosenfield is a baby boomer who's had her share of great, and not-so-great jobs. She's got a great one now.