'Perfectly normal' | Podcaster Mel Robbins defends Gen Z from 'lazy' worker stereotypes

Millionaire podcaster and former CNN legal analyst Mel Robbins has called for greater understanding of the pressures facing Gen Z workers, amid mounting criticism from business figures and celebrities over the generation’s attitudes to work.

Speaking on TikTok, Robbins pushed back against claims that Gen Z lacks resilience or work ethic, describing such commentary as dismissive of the complex environment young workers now face.

She said: “We sit here and we look at twentysomethings and we’re like, ‘Oh, they’re weak or addicted to social media, or all anxious.’ Have you stopped to consider what it’s like to be a twentysomething today?”

Criticism from business leaders and celebrities

Gen Z has drawn fire in recent months, with Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey, actress Jodie Foster, and Whoopi Goldberg piling on to question the group’s approach to work. Goldberg argued that younger workers don’t “bust their behinds” and want to “work four hours a day.” Foster reportedly described her younger colleagues as “really annoying.”