Judge Judy is known for her no-nonsense attitude and candid advice, and her assessment of Gen Z’s work ethic is no different. But the veteran reality TV star and former prosecutor, whose real name is Judith Sheindlin, says parents are to blame for the younger generation’s difficulties at work.
“They grew up with a different philosophy and they are a product of the philosophy that everyone gets a trophy,” the 81-year-old said. Fox Newsadding that it was completely different from how she was raised in the 1940s.
“When I grew up, you ran a race, came first and got a trophy,” she said. “Sometimes you even got a prize for second place. Even at the Olympic Games there are three prizes. But if there are 20 people in a race and everyone wins a prize, you get a prize for first, second, third, fourth, Most Congenial, Best Costume, Best Sportsmanship, Most Personality, Best Joke ” So everyone gets a trophy.”
Sheindlin suggested that the lack of competition experienced in childhood is reflected in the careers of Generation Z today and that it is due to parents trying to make friends with their children first.
“You grew up with a group of kids whose parents, I think, mistakenly wanted to be their friend more than their parent,” she sympathized. “And perhaps they were busy with housework and their ABCs and morals were taught in school, which to me is a big mistake. You should learn good things at home and ABCs in schools. Easy.”
But the generation is not helping itself either.
While Sheindlin blamed pandering parents for setting Gen Z up for failure in the corporate rat race, she warned younger workers that they weren’t doing much to help themselves either.
Repeating words Sister Act star Whoopi Goldberg, who argued that the generation “only wants to work 4 hours” a day, and Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster, who complained that Gen Z doesn’t come to work until 10:30 a.m., Sheindlin showed no sympathy for those who don’t wants to waste time.
“You only get a bad reputation if you earn it,” warned a former Manhattan family court judge. “If you have a group of kids who come to work and say, ‘I don’t like working after 4 o’clock,’ ‘I don’t work on Saturday,’ ‘There’s football on Sunday.
“Well, if you want to succeed in your business, you have to show up first in the morning and close up shop. Someone will notice.”
Luck reached out to Sheindlin for comment.
The youngest generation of workers is different, but that’s not a bad thing.
It’s not just seasoned professionals like Sheindlin who have appreciated how different the latest younger generation of workers is—even Generation Z coming into management complains about the work style of their cohort.
A recent Resume Genius study found that 45% of employers consider Gen Z to be the most difficult generation to work with, with 50% of Gen Z hiring managers agreeing with this sentiment.
Today’s young workers want more than just a paycheck (read: four-day workweeks, policies and sustainability boundaries), and research shows they’re even willing to earn less to join a business that aligns with their values.
But – besides being a logistical nightmare for management – this is not necessarily a bad thing: with employees stress and burnout is growing rapidly and mothers are still heavily penalized by traditional work norms, a generation that demands more work balance could benefit everyone.
“Gen Z is already shaking things up, but they’re not here to disrupt: They bring a unique combination of talent and bold ideas that can rejuvenate any workforce,” wrote Jeffrey Scott, senior recruiting manager at Resume Genius.
For example, according to the study, Gen Z managers are more likely to make hiring decisions based on what candidates list as “hobbies and interests” on their resumes rather than professional experience.
“Gen Z may have a bad reputation, but they have the power to change the workplace for the better,” Scott concluded.