Decoding the “lazy girl” job trend and what it means for businesses

“There’s nothing lazy about expecting a job that pays you well, gives you good work-life balance and doesn’t overwork you.”

@bonniedilber

Theres nothing lazy about wanting a lazy girl job! We all deserve it! #lazygirljobs #workculture #remotework

♬ original sound – Bonnie Dilber

This TikTok quote on so-called “lazy girl” jobs sums up the social media trend for me. Let’s be clear on a couple of things — these aren’t jobs for “lazy girls”. They’re for people who want a reasonable level of work-life balance. The popularity of these jobs is not the result of increased flexibility and four-day weeks (both of which have proven to increase productivity), it’s the absence of these benefits that have caused it. It’s not anti-work, it’s anti-burnout — a workplace phenomenon that is often reported as affecting women more than men.

The term “lazy girl job” was coined by TikTok influencer Gabrielle Judge. In her many interviews, she’s made it clear that she created the phrase as a way to shine a light on toxic workplace culture, and to encourage people not to define themselves by their jobs. It’s important to note that the term was intentionally divisive: “I did call it ‘lazy girl job’ as a marketing tactic. I knew it was going to be a polarising statement, so it was definitely intentional”, Gabrielle says in this interview. And it’s worked! 

Unfortunately, many have taken the trend to advocate finding “copy and pasting” jobs and doing the bare minimum. There are countless videos on TikTok that portray tropes of beating the WFH system where users take Zoom calls from a resort pool or keep their keyboard moving while they nap to maintain an active status. While humorous by intent, the lines between what’s genuinely “lazy” and what can be celebrated as progressive working arrangements have become somewhat blurred. 

What is merely a harmless joke now, may stand to jeopardise the future of work, especially for women. With women more likely to seek out “lazy girl jobs” due to the unequal distribution of domestic labour and unpaid care, as explored in our Hidden Cost of “Women’s Work” report, it’s essential that we set the record straight.  

Not just girls

While there may not yet be a “lazy boy job” phenomenon, there’s no doubt the quest for reasonable work-life balance isn’t restricted to any gender. Gallup’s Global Workplace report shows three in five of the 120,000 workers surveyed said they were putting in less than maximum effort. To be clear, this is not something employers should be worried about. 

Leaving work early to pick up your child from daycare isn’t lazy. Working four days a week to manage the caring load isn’t lazy. Taking carers leave isn’t lazy. Using your lunch break as a break isn’t lazy. Working from home in the evenings so you can have dinner with your family isn’t lazy.

The quest for balance and wellbeing should be celebrated, not denigrated. It is through the pursuit of reasonable work-life equilibrium that individuals can truly thrive in their careers. Have you ever seen a parent start early and go full throttle so they can leave to do school pickup? The “lazy girl” phenomenon has shown us that there is a growing demand for change, and it is up to employers to heed this call and create a future of work that benefits us all.

Everyone can’t be CEO

Workplaces need a range of people to function properly. It does not work to have a company or organisation full of ambitious wannabe CEOs, with half a mind on the tasks at hand and the other half constantly thinking about and looking for the next promotion. Workplaces need these people, of course, but the hardworking employees who are balancing doing their jobs well with duties outside of work, are just as essential. 

It’s this combination that makes a workplace hum and the reason employers need to make sure they value these employees and roles. It will come as no surprise that flexibility is key for those wanting work-life balance. Our recent The What Women Want Report 2023 showed that flexible working remained one of the most important considerations for women, taking priority over salary. 

The “lazy girl” phenomenon underscores a growing demand for change in the world of work, emphasising the need for employers to adapt and create environments that benefit everyone. It is crucial for employers to recognise that seeking balance, whether it involves leaving work early to care for family, working four days a week, or using breaks for relaxation, is not laziness but a desire for a more fulfilling life. And a more fulfilling life holistically leads to greater job satisfaction and better employee retention. With the unemployment rate at just 3.7% it’s an employee’s market and those workplaces that prioritise the wellbeing of their employees will be the overall winners. 

Gemma Lloyd is the co-founder and CEO of WORK180.