They’re cheating the system.
A majority of Gen Z and millennial workers believe that “cheating” in the workplace is completely acceptable, such as napping on the clock or using AI to perform tasks.
According to a survey from Papers Owl, 95% of respondents aged 18 to 34 said that such “rule-bending” is fine, with many participants admitting they were guilty of at least one method.
Clocking out earlier was reported by 34% of people surveyed, followed by calling in sick when in perfect health for a day off, starting the day late and “quiet quitting.”
The survey also found that 14% of people used AI to complete work duties, 11% napped on the clock when working from home and 11% “logged more hours than actually worked.”
More than half of the 2,000 Americans surveyed also said they “quiet vacationed” — taking a trip under the guise of working remotely — at least once in the last year, while 12% said they’ve done it more than once.
But the survey authors argued that it isn’t Gen Z “just being lazy,” revealing that the main reasons behind “quiet vacationing” include burnout and limited pay time off or not being able or approved to take time off.
In fact, only one person out of the entire polling pool said they did it “just because they can.”
The survey also found that a popular return-to-office procrastination tactic is “coffee badging,” when workers go into the office just for their swipe to be counted, catch up with someone over coffee and leave to work somewhere else.
According to the poll, 36% of workers were guilty of the workplace hack, admitting they have used the method 10 or more times over the past 12 months.
Reasons for this workaround include wanting more flexibility, preferring to work in another place, limiting in-office distractions, feeling unproductive in the office and better commutes.
The workplace trends emerge amid the rise of “career catfishing” — which typically entails skipping the first day of a new job — which 29% of Gen Z and Millennials admit to doing.
But Papers Owl also highlighted the ways in which Gen Z can be motivated to work harder.
To no one’s surprise, more than half of the respondents said higher pay was a “top motivator,” followed by positive work environments, family-related benefits and being recognized when they overcome challenges on the job.
