- Gen Z workers admit they’ve been streaming TV shows and movies during their workdays at home—and about half of them lie to their bosses about it. Although there’s a case to be made that remote work can be unproductive, some human resource leaders argue it’s just white noise for Gen Z workers and they can still be productive while streaming.
Working from home can be lonely. There aren’t any coworkers around to yap with, and Zoom calls don’t always fulfill a social urge. But throwing on a favorite television show or movie can fill some of the quiet space—or it can serve as the ultimate distraction.
As many as 84% of Gen Z workers admitted they stream shows and movies while working from home, according to survey results published March 18 by streaming TV service Tubi. And 53% of Gen Zers said they’ve put off work to finish a show they’re binge-watching, according to the survey of 2,502 adults who stream videos at least one hour per week.
“As hybrid-work models continue to be the norm, the boundary between work and entertainment becomes more fluid across the board,” Cynthia Clevenger, senior vice president of B2B marketing at Tubi, told Fortune. “It's not just passive background noise—it’s part of how they take breaks, stay stimulated, or even manage their focus throughout the day.”
But hybrid and remote work have brought about a sense of distrust from employers who can’t monitor what their workers are doing as closely as they can in an office setting. In fact, some employers are getting completely fed up with remote work because they think their workers are less productive, put in fewer hours each day, and make fewer connections with coworkers.
Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, has been outspoken about his disdain for remote work, having recently forced his employees back to the office five days a week. He’s also said remote work particularly doesn’t work for younger generations.
Workhuman, an employee recognition and engagement software company, found that millennials and Gen Zers are the most likely generations to fake work, a phenomenon they coined "fauxductivity." More than 30% of these two generations said they’d admit to faking activity for work, according to the 2024 survey of 3,000 full-time employees in the U.S., the U.K., and Ireland.
Is streaming at work a Gen Z problem?
Although there’s a case to be made about remote-work productivity, some human resources leaders have said these trends are caused by greater workplace problems.
“It’s an understatement to say that today’s employees are up against a lot: Both professional and personal stressors, burnout, overwork, and disengagement can contribute to low well-being,” Meisha-ann Martin, senior director of people analytics and research at Workhuman, said in a statement.
While it may be tempting to want to catch younger workers faking their time spent on the clock, HR leaders urge employers to understand and accommodate this behavioral shift. Especially since Gen Z grew up in a digital-first environment, their habits and tendencies will be different from those of older generations.
“For many, having a show, podcast, or music in the background isn’t a distraction—it’s a form of body doubling that enhances focus,” Simran Bhatia, head of people operations at deepfake-detection company Reality Defender, told Fortune. “Instead of policing this, progressive employers should consider how to design work environments—in-office or remote—that reflect how this generation optimally functions. Each generation has brought a shift in workplace culture, and Gen Z is no exception."
Bhatia also encourages employers to question whether work is getting done even with streaming on. Rather than assuming it’s a lack of discipline, employers’ default should be trust, not suspicion, Bhatia said. Still, nearly 50% of Gen Z workers admitted to lying to their bosses about streaming during the workday, according to the Tubi survey.
Plus, more than half of Gen Zers said they’re hesitant to return to the office because they’ll lose their streaming time, according to the Tubi survey. But other HR leaders argue it’s not really their streaming time Gen Z is worried about, but their autonomy.
“Yes, Gen Z streaming at work is happening—and it’s not always a productivity killer,” Patrice Lindo, CEO of career coaching firm Career Nomad, told Fortune. “It’s a sign that we need to reimagine attention, not punish it.”
