What if your employer asked for bullet points outlining what you did on the clock last week? A survey of private-sector employees found most say they get their job done; but one in six full-time employees say they spend 30 hours or less of their 40-hour workweek doing actual work.
The Resume Templates survey of 1,200 full-time workers found one in 10 Gen-Z workers admit to spending 20 hours a week or less on actual work.
That still means the majority are putting in more time than that, and Gen-Z, subject of relentless workplace criticism, might deserve a break, according to Julia Toothacre, a career coach who works with Resume Templates and who advocates for Gen-Z workers through her Ride the Tide Collective career-consulting business.
“Gen-Z is early career and we have to remember that,” she said. “They are in positions that really require more delegation. They are not as experienced yet. So my guess is that they are doing what is asked of them, and not necessarily going above and beyond, unless they see a reason.”
And they do get their tasks done. Among Gen-Z workers surveyed, 46% said they finish their assignments in a given week all the time, and 53% said most of the time.
Among all workers surveyed, the majority of those not putting in the full 40 hours said they actively try to appear busy. Nearly half said they keep work apps open while handling personal tasks, and 21% said they send emails or Slack messages outside work hours to create the illusion of productivity.
The most common way to appear busy all day is stretching out tasks instead of completing them quickly.
“They will also delay turning work in,” Toothacre said. “I thought that was really interesting. I think people are sometimes more efficient at their work, but they don’t want their manager to think that because then the expectations will change.”
When asked about providing honest accountability for what they get done during a workweek, like Elon Musk’s DOGE emails to federal employees, 13% said they would likely suffer consequences if they honestly answered such an email. Gen-Z employees were twice as likely as workers 45 and older to say so.
Resume Templates’ full survey results are online.
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