Gen Z has ignited a fresh debate over workplace etiquette, and this round centers on an unlikely flashpoint: the iced coffee carried into a job interview.

Last week, recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen posted a TikTok noting that Gen Z candidates have been arriving at job interviews with an iced coffee in hand. In her view, the drink signals that the interview is merely one "stop on your list of errands for the day." She called the habit "too casual" for buttoned-up corporate roles and advised young workers to get their caffeine fix before or after the meeting. Commenters quickly split: some argued that an interview is realistically just one part of the day and it is absurd to "pretend we aren't human," while others said they "couldn't believe" anyone would push back on standard "professionalism."

@caitlinrecruiter Coffee & interviews … finish it beforehand 😅 ♬ Rain on the Spool – Jazz Rocks Triangle

Coffee & interviews … finish it beforehand 😅

Others soon weighed in. Content creator Josh Lora, known on TikTok as @tellthebees, posted that people are attempting to rewrite the reality of professionalism to suit their preferences—and that candidates who walk into an interview with coffee will not get the job. He criticized those "willing to die on the hill that the iced coffee is a symbol of your rebellion" while expecting no consequences: "That is not the way that the world works." Another creator, Miss Redacted, said corporate America runs on "unwritten rules," no matter how trivial they may appear to most people.

The argument has even spilled beyond the internet. A TikTok video reportedly shows a poll displayed inside the elevator of one user's "extremely corporate office job," in which 92% of voters said it is unacceptable to bring iced coffee to an interview; only 8% said it was fine.

Workers remain divided over whether the drink is harmless or a breach of professional etiquette, and recruiters are split as well. Most believe an iced coffee does not disqualify a candidate, while some argue it violates unspoken interview norms. And even as Gen Z new expectations into the workplace, this benign habit could still affect their odds of landing a job.

"An iced coffee tells an interviewer very little about whether someone can do the job, which is why this debate has struck such a nerve," Ashley Daugherty, market manager at recruiting company Randstad Professional, tells Fortune. "It isn't really about coffee. It's about who gets to define 'professional.'"

How hiring experts view the iced coffee debate

Hiring experts agree that a latte should not outweigh a candidate's qualifications—but it can still matter. Megan Slabinski, district president at staffing services company Robert Half, tells Fortune that while she would not recommend bringing one into an interview, it is unlikely to be the deciding factor. Candidates, she notes, should keep both hands free for a handshake introduction.

"While an iced coffee alone may not make or break an interview, it's probably not something I'd recommend bringing into the room," Slabinski says. "Anything that's messy or takes attention away from the interview is probably best avoided. When in doubt, just keep it simple and make it easy to focus on the conversation."

Slabinski adds that most hiring managers are not making decisions based on beverages alone. They are evaluating communication and professional skills, along with how an applicant presents themselves. Still, she advises that if a drink could become a distraction, it is best to leave it out of the interview.

Others believe that entering an interview with coffee in hand will not—and should—affect a candidate's odds. Trent Cotton, head of talent insights at recruitment software platform ICIMS, argued that if a drink makes a candidate more comfortable, it should not be a problem. There are obvious exceptions, such as distractingly munching through a breakfast sandwich, but Cotton says it is wrong for companies to screen out job-seekers over something so trivial.

"What's the difference between a glass of water and a cup of coffee, both of which are usually offered anyway? There really isn't one," Cotton tells Fortune. "It should not hurt a candidate's chances. If it does, and holding a latte reads as 'not serious' in a market where people are applying to forty roles for three interviews, that company is majoring in the minors."

Gen Z is rewriting workplace norms—and companies may have 'lost empathy'

Gen Z professionals have long been upending workplace norms, with many starting their first full-time jobs during the COVID era. They have challenged expectations around office attire, in-person attendance and communication styles, and bringing coffee to an interview now adds to that trend.

"The issue is less about iced coffee and more about changing workplace norms," Slabinski explains, noting that many in the generation conducted their first job interviews over video calls, where the question never arose. "They're navigating expectations that previous generations often learned earlier through face-to-face experiences. Interview etiquette hasn't really changed, but the way people learn those norms has."

Daugherty adds that job-seekers are "trying to decode unwritten rules in a tough market." Because expectations are rarely made explicit, they can be difficult for young workers to follow. Candidates never know how "traditional" an interviewer may be, making any beverage a potentially risky bet.

Cotton agrees that times have changed. He admits he "may have felt differently" in 2017, but much of this generation entered the workforce remotely, with no one to teach them the unwritten rules. Rather than faulting Gen Z for being unaware, he sees the moment as a chance to question whether some rules ever made sense to begin with.

"You can't fault someone for missing etiquette nobody had the chance to teach them," Cotton says. "The debate speaks to the bigger issue that businesses have lost empathy for the job seeker."

"What inspires me is how hard Gen Z is defending this," he continued. "It's a generation rejecting rules that never made sense, and asking why instead of just complying. That's the instinct I've always wanted in a workforce. Bring the coffee. Ask the harder questions too. To the recruiters, remember: that's who you want on the team."

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com.