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"Micro-retirement" — taking planned, unpaid career breaks in your 20s and 30s instead of saving it all for one retirement at 65 — is trending among Gen Z workers, with one survey finding 10% are considering it and 75% think employers should offer it as a formal policy. Backers say it's a smarter way to avoid burnout and actually enjoy life along the way; critics warn unpaid gaps can hurt retirement savings and make it harder to get hired back into a competitive job market. Smart life redesign, or a financial risk dressed up as self-care?

"Micro-retirement" — taking intentional, often unpaid breaks from a career during working years rather than saving all rest for retirement at the end — has become a trending term among Gen Z workers i