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Boss Accuses Generation Z Employees of Faking Productivity While Working from Home. Statement Reignites Debate on Remote Work and Managing Young Teams
A manager decided to vent publicly after noticing behaviors that left him frustrated with part of his team. In a letter sent to the magazine The iPaper, he stated that some employees, particularly the younger ones from Generation Z, have taken advantage of the flexibility of hybrid work to evade responsibilities during work hours.
“On several occasions throughout last year, I suspected that people were pretending to work during work hours while doing other things“, said the CEO of a company in a letter, criticizing the young workers, who fit into Generation Z, on his team.
Among the cases cited, the most emblematic involves workers who, according to him, went to bars during work hours without even bringing their laptops. There were also reports of people going to the hairdresser and even taking an international trip before the official holidays.
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Rumors and Doubts Grow
According to the boss, “there were rumors” that some employees were taking advantage of the hybrid model to leave home during work hours. He mentioned that he was informed about a person who traveled to another country before the start of the holidays, justifying it as a way to enjoy more days off, working from there until the official break began.
This letter was published by iPaper, a publication that also features input from Sylvia Harrowell, founder of Itscareercoaching. She is an expert in leadership and career development and often provides advice on management both on the site and through her social media channels.
Flexibility and Frustration with Generation Z
In the letter, the boss emphasizes that the company adopted a hybrid regime with the aim of balancing its employees’ personal and professional lives. The model provides for three days in the office and two days of remote work per week.
“I have no problems with that and want my team to be happy, but it disappoints me to see some members of the cast — the younger ones — taking advantage of it“, he said.
He also revealed that on more than one occasion he had the impression that employees were merely pretending to work. One of the situations that caught his attention happened during an online meeting.
Zoom Without a Computer
During an unexpected video conference, the manager noticed that an employee was in a café. The guy appeared on the call with his phone, claiming he was without his laptop.
The background noise and the environment caught the boss’s attention, leading him to conclude that the collaborator was not in suitable working conditions.
This type of situation left the manager frustrated. He claims to be “desperate” and sought advice from expert Sylvia Harrowell on how to be firmer with his team and ensure that everyone takes responsibility.
Expert’s Opinion
Sylvia Harrowell has experience in finance, pharmaceuticals, sales, marketing, and digital strategy. Currently, she works as a career mentor. In response to the boss’s letter, she reminded that leadership is a crucial factor in these situations.
According to her, there are three central elements for dealing with the problem: the development of the manager themselves, the company culture, and the level of employee engagement.
She also recommends that the manager seek support from the human resources department and other executives in the company to better manage his remote team.
Generation Z: Not Everything Is That Serious
Despite the boss’s concerns, Harrowell assesses that not all the behaviors mentioned should be taken too seriously. She cites the case of the employee who traveled before the holidays as an example of this.
The expert states that as long as the person can work normally from another country and hasn’t violated any company rules, there is nothing wrong.
Another point highlighted by her is the way productivity is usually measured. Sylvia questions the emphasis placed on the number of hours in front of the computer. She reminds that the most important thing is to meet deadlines and deliver results.
“If people take some time during the day to go to the hairdresser or to a café, but work hard the rest of the time, that may not be a big problem“, she concluded.
This final reflection raises an increasingly present debate in the corporate world: productivity is not necessarily linked to constant online presence. And, in many cases, conflicts between different generations — like Generation Z and their managers — reflect changes in mindset about what it means to “work well.”
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