Judge Judy is known for her no-nonsense attitude and straight-talking advice—and her assessment of Gen Z's work ethic is no different. However, the veteran reality TV star and former prosecutor, whose real name is Judith Sheindlin, says parents are to blame for the younger generation's struggles at work.
“They grew up with a different philosophy and they are the products of the philosophy of everybody gets a trophy,” the 81-year-old told Fox News, adding that it’s a world away from how she was raised in the 1940s.
"When I grew up, you ran a race, you came in first, you got a trophy," she said. "Sometimes you even got a second-place prize. Even the Olympics have three prizes. But if there are 20 people in a race, and everybody gets a trophy, you get a trophy for first, second, third, fourth, Most Congenial, Best Outfit, Best Sportsmanship, Most Personality, Best Joke. So everybody gets a trophy."
Sheindlin suggested that the lack of competition experienced in childhood is reflected in Gen Zers' careers today and that it stems from parents trying to be friends-first with their children.
"You grew up with that group of kids with parents who I think mistakenly wanted to be their friend more than a parent," she sympathized. "And it may be that they were busy working households and both their ABCs and their morality were taught in school, which to me is a big mistake. You're supposed to learn good things at home and ABCs in schools. Easy."
But the generation isn’t exactly helping themselves either
Although Sheindlin blamed pandering parents for setting Gen Z up to fail in the corporate rat race, she warned young workers that they’re aren't exactly helping themselves either.
Echoing the words of Sister Act star Whoopi Goldberg, who claimed that the generation ‘only want to work 4 hours’ a day, and the Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster, who complained that Gen Zers don’t show up to work until 10:30 a.m., Sheindlin showed no sympathy for those who don’t want to put in the hours.
“You only get a bad rap if you deserve it,” the former Manhattan family court judge warned. “If you have a bunch of kids entering the workforce who say, ‘I don’t like to work past 4 o'clock,’ ‘I don't work on Saturday,’ ‘Sunday is football.’
“Well, if you want to be successful in what you do, you're supposed to be first in the morning, and close up shop. Somebody will notice that.”
Fortune reached out to Sheindlin for comment.
The youngest generation of workers are different—but it’s not a bad thing
It’s not just seasoned professionals like Sheindlin who have taken stock of how different the latest youngest generation of workers is—even Gen Z who have entered management are complaining about their own cohort's work style.
Recent research from Resume Genius highlighted that 45% of employers find Gen Z the most difficult generation to work with, with 50% of Gen Z hiring managers agreeing with the sentiment.
Today, young workers want more than a paycheck (read: four-day weeks, sustainability policies and boundaries) and studies show that they are even willing to earn less to join a business that matches their values.
But—aside from being a logistic nightmare for management—that isn't necessarily a bad thing: With employee stress and burnout rapidly on the rise and mothers still heavily penalized by traditional working norms, having a generation that’s demanding more balance from work may benefit all.
“Gen Z has already shaken things up, but they’re not here to break things: They bring a unique blend of talent and bold ideas that can rejuvenate any workforce,” wrote Geoffrey Scott, senior hiring manager at Resume Genius.
For example, according to the research, Gen Z managers are most likely to make hiring decisions based on what candidates put down as their “hobbies and interests” on their CV, over professional experience.
“Gen Zers might have a bad rep, but they have the power to transform workplaces for the better,” Scott concluded.
