1 in 8 Workers Say Honestly Answering a “What Did You Do Last Week?” Email Could Get Them Fired

Elon Musk recently asked all federal workers to send an email detailing their accomplishments from the past week or risk losing their jobs.

This March report from ResumeTemplates discusses how U.S. workers would handle such a request.

Study highlights:

• 1 in 8 employees say submitting an honest weekly report would get them in trouble
• Many would lie if asked for such a report to avoid a problem
• 1 in 8 full-time employees are working 30 hours or less per week
• 1 in 10 full-time Gen Z employees are working 20 hours or less

1 in 6 Full-Time Employees Work Less Than 30 Hours/Week

Overall, 17% are working 30 hours or fewer per week. Gen Zers are the most likely group of full-time employees to not put in full-time hours, with 32% reporting working 30 hours or less per week. Within this group, 10% admit to working 20 hours or less. In comparison, 20% of millennials say they work 30 hours or less, while only 13% of employees aged 45 and older report the same.

Rather than dedicating their time to work-related tasks, many Gen Z employees are instead engaging in personal entertainment, including browsing social media, chatting with coworkers, and completing personal chores and errands.

That said, most Gen Zers say they finish all the tasks they’re expected to  n a given week all the time (46%) or most of the time (53%). Additionally, the majority say they accomplish a lot (53%) or a fair amount (41%) each week, while 7% say only a little bit.

Some workers are actively making themselves appear busy

The majority of workers who aren’t putting in full-time hours (64%) say they actively try to appear busy, most commonly by stretching tasks throughout the day rather than completing them quickly (71%). Nearly half (47%) keep work apps open while handling personal tasks, while 26% delay task submissions until the deadline. One in five (21%) send emails or Slack messages outside work hours to create the illusion of productivity, and 17% attend unnecessary meetings to seem engaged.

“Workload depends on the role, industry, and level, but early-career workers often complete tasks quickly, leaving downtime,” says ResumeTemplates’ Chief Career Strategist Julia Toothacre. “Gen Zers in particular tend to do what’s required of them but aren’t willing to overextend themselves unless it’s going to lead to a promotion.

“Workers should understand their company’s culture and learn to market their contributions effectively. Discussing a job title, description, or pay adjustment to fit your ability to be efficient with a manager may be a better approach than pretending to be busy. Some workers will always try to get by doing the bare minimum or even less, but that’s a separate issue from efficiency.”

1 in 8 Employees Admit They’d Be In Trouble if They Provided an Honest Report of Their Work Week

Overall, 13% of workers say they would likely suffer consequences if they honestly answered an email with a list of what they had accomplished the previous week.

A higher percentage (19%) of Gen Z employees say that if they had to submit a completely honest, detailed report of their weekly work activities, they would worry about facing consequences. Additionally, one in eight Gen Zers (13%) admit they would be inclined to lie on such a report.

Concerns about full transparency are particularly pronounced among Gen Z employees working 30 hours or less per week. In this group, 29% say they would be in trouble if they were fully honest about their work, and 25% say they would lie if asked to provide a detailed report.

Millennials also express some level of concern, though to a slightly lesser extent — 17% say they would be worried about potential repercussions, and 15% admit they might lie. Older employees, particularly those aged 45 and above, are significantly less likely to express these concerns. Only 9% say they would be worried about an honest report, and an equal percentage (9%) say they would lie.

This data suggests that younger workers, particularly those with shorter workweeks, may feel more pressure to obscure aspects of their productivity or work habits, while older employees are generally more confident in reporting their activities truthfully.

Methodology: ResumeTemplates commissioned this survey via Pollfish in February 2025. The survey included 1,200 U.S. full-time workers.