In American work culture, laziness is next to sinfulness. We're taught that success takes hard work and that slacking off, like failure, is unacceptable. But in the years since 2020's COVID lockdowns, the younger generations have been increasingly vocal in questioning the American ideal of work, from quiet quitting and the death of the dream job to this summer's buzzy new trend: the lazy girl job.
What exactly is a "lazy girl job"? These are roles with great work-life balance, chill bosses, and livable salaries. Lazy girl workers are all about logging off at 5 p.m. on the dot and not answering emails off the clock. These jobs are low-stress and best done remotely. TikToks of lazy girl employees popping out for a quick afternoon walk or color-coding spreadsheets on the couch dominate my For You Page.
The lazy girl trend is partly a reaction against the girlboss ideal of the 2010s that pushed women to overwork while also infantilizing us — but it's not advocating for women to simply not work at all. To be perfectly clear, these workers are doing their jobs and not shirking responsibilities. But instead of romanticizing the hustle, they're merely working so that they can live. And in a live-to-work culture like ours, that's not as easy as they make it look.
As the lazy girl jobs trend has picked up steam, it's been deeply misunderstood in the media. NYU professor Suzy Welch told CNBC that she thinks the trend is an attempt to avoid anxiety at all costs, blaming helicopter parents for creating "a bunch of 20-somethings who have never really had to make hard decisions or do very hard things." (Quick reminder that she's talking about a generation who grew up doing active shooter drills in school and just lived through a pandemic, so I'm pretty sure they've done hard things, but go off I guess.)
Others warn that "lazy girls" could be cruising toward layoffs or missing out on career advancement opportunities. Career expert and founder of the job search site Ladders, Marc Cenedella, told Insider, "The problem with having the lazy girl job is that they're the first ones to get laid off when tough times come." He went on to say that these allegedly lazy workers are "cheating themselves" by not continually growing their professional skills. However, as too many of us know from disenchanting experience, you can also work your ass off and still get laid off anyway. Weird how nobody ever mentions that when people want a better work-life balance...
"I got a Computer Information Systems degree in 2019 and immediately started at my 'dream job' after. I quickly realized how overworked I was and felt dissatisfied in life," Gabrielle said. But after experiencing a concussion in 2021, she began looking at her work differently.
"I realized what I thought was a dream job based on traditional standards was not in alignment with what I truly wanted. I started to notice a lot of the tactics corporations use to get you to tolerate the uncomfortable effects of not feeling valued and doing work that isn't meaningful," Gabrielle explained, pointing to dangling promotions and raises as tactics that can keep employees putting in extra hours for little in return.
As Gabrielle focused on her healing and sought out a better work-life balance, she began noticing a particular type of job. "The lazy girl job trend came from a commentary on all the useless jobs that exist today. Those jobs are fine. I don't have a problem with the job itself."
"My issue is with employers campaigning their employees into thinking their job is extremely important and should be the number one priority in our life. Gen Z is very aware of past generations and what corporate burnout can look like. We are looking for meaningful and efficient career opportunities where genuine communication is valued."
And she explained that when she talks about "lazy girl jobs," the "lazy" part is tongue-in-cheek. "The 'lazy' part in lazy girl jobs was a parody on the current American hustle culture. If you compare everything I am talking about to the career expectations today, my message is considered lazy. I did that on purpose months ago to take back the power of the big media calling us lazy."
"I personally am also not a lazy person. I work very hard. I am a self-motivated person as I have been working since I was 14. I always encourage my audience to work hard, but only when they want to and when they are reaping all of the rewards of that hard work. We don't do extra work described by our bosses as a 'learning opportunity.'"
Gabrielle also shared that this trend is not just for the girls. "Lazy girl jobs are not just for women. Only 70% of my community reports as female, so there are a ton of over-allied genders in the community." People of all genders are tired, and lazy jobs offer the kind of balance that actually allows for recovery time.
It's also important to note that the consequences of posting about a lazy girl job could be even heavier for women of color and other groups that are underrepresented in the work place. LinkedIn career expert Andrew McCaskill explained, "For many people of color, there has always been a notion of having to work harder to obtain the same levels of recognition. Research from LinkedIn found 55% of Black professionals feel their talent is recognized by their managers vs. 63% of white professionals, for example. People of color are often not afforded the privilege to be 'lazy' at work and are disproportionately impacted during times of economic pressure and uncertainty."
But although Gabrielle and her "lazy" peers see a lot of faults in our current work culture, she's optimistic for the future. "I believe career ladders are a thing of the past. Employers can't hold their weight with company loyalty anymore. Pensions are no longer available, it's difficult to find raises that match inflation, and social security is projected to be unavailable by 2033. We will see the explosion of career portfolios which are a blend of careers based on the individual employee's personal interest. There is just so much opportunity for career portfolios through the rise of the internet and AI. I am really hopeful about the future of work!"
