Forget free snacks in the break room.<\/p>\n
For Gen Z, choosing between jobs isn\u2019t always about salary, paid time off or cushy perks \u2014 it\u2019s about who\u2019s covering their weight-loss drugs.<\/p>\n
A new ZipHealth Survey <\/a>of more than 1,000 workers found 47% of Zoomers \u2014 the generation aged 14 to 29 \u2014 said coverage for drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy would sway their decision between two job offers.<\/p>\n A survey shows Gen Z would choose a job with insurance that covers Ozempic, Wegovy or other weight-loss drugs over another that did not. Siphosethu Fanti\/peopleimages.com \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n That\u2019s higher than the 35% of Millennials, and 36% of Gen Xers, who said the same. <\/p>\n And some workers aren\u2019t just prioritizing access \u2014 they\u2019re willing to pay for it. About 7% overall say they would take a pay cut to get employer-covered GLP-1 meds.<\/p>\n Among Gen Z, the figure jumps to 9%.<\/p>\n Overall, 54% of workers said they\u2019d give up at least one workplace perk in exchange for coverage of the popular drugs, which come with a hefty price tag. <\/p>\n GLP-1s often cost $1,000 to $1,200 a month, without insurance, per GoodRX<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ozempic injections were originally intended for patients with type 2 diabetes, but many people use it for the off-label weight loss benefits. Kassandra \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n The figure doesn\u2019t include the price of doctor\u2019s office visits and diagnostic tests, which can drive overall costs sky high. <\/p>\n That\u2019s why the employee trade-offs are getting serious, with one in eight workers willing to give up a full week of paid time off (PTO) just to have the drugs covered, the March survey found.<\/p>\n Gen Z workers would like to have weight loss drugs covered by under their employee\u2019s insurance plan. Seventyfour \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Medications like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro exploded into the mainstream between 2022 to early 2023, boosted by a steady stream of celebrity users \u2014 from Oprah Winfrey to Chrissy Teigen.<\/p>\n Originally developed for Type 2 diabetes, the drugs are now widely used off label for weight loss. Its active ingredient, semaglutide, is also approved specifically for obesity under the brand name Wegovy.<\/p>\n Competing drugs include Mounjaro and Zepbound, both from Eli Lilly. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n And this isn\u2019t a passing fad.<\/p>\n A November 2025 KFF poll found that\u00a0one in eight adults\u00a0are already taking a GLP-1 drug for weight loss, diabetes or related conditions.<\/p>\n In December, the Food and Drug Administration\u00a0approved Wegovy in pill form<\/a> \u2014 offering a needle-free alternative to injections, and making it even more attractive to potential customers.<\/p>\n Gen Zers aren\u2019t the only age group who\u2019d like their employer to cover their weight-loss drugs. Roughly a third of Millennials and Gen Xers surveyed said they would trade many other job perks for drug coverage insurance. millaf (Nemchinova) \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n