Artificial intelligence was meant to ease the load. Faster drafts, sharper summaries, instant slide decks before the morning meeting. Yet across workplaces, a quieter story is unfolding. The output may arrive quickly, but the polishing, and often the repairing, is increasingly falling back on employees.A new study by resume platform Zety, The Rise of Workslop Report, puts data behind that experience. The report finds that low-quality AI-generated output, informally labelled “workslop,” has become a routine part of many employees’ workloads. And while organisations may not openly endorse it, tolerance is creeping in.
A shifting definition of acceptable work
According to Zety’s nationally representative survey of 1,000 US employees conducted via Pollfish on January 8, 2025, workplace standards around AI-generated content are evolving.While 39% of employees said low-quality AI work is “completely unacceptable and corrected,” a larger share acknowledged some level of acceptance. About 31% described it as “somewhat unacceptable but tolerated.” Another 21% said it is “somewhat acceptable and overlooked if deadlines are met,” and 9% reported that it is “completely acceptable,” with speed prioritised over polish.In effect, one in five employees say flawed AI output is often ignored if the deadline is met. The message is subtle but clear: velocity increasingly carries more weight than refinement.
The hidden labour behind AI efficiency
The deadline, however, rarely marks the end of the process. For many workers, it marks the beginning of correction.Nearly half of respondents, 49%, according to Zety, said they fix issues in AI-generated work themselves rather than escalate or reject it. That additional effort is often informal and unrecognised, but it adds up. Two-thirds of employees (66%) reported spending up to six hours or more each week correcting errors caused by “workslop.”Over time, this invisible labour reshapes the workday. Instead of focusing on strategic or creative tasks, employees are reviewing, editing, and repairing content that was supposed to save them time.
Stress, morale, and the human cost
The impact extends beyond lost hours. Employees reported that “workslop” significantly or moderately harms key aspects of their work life. According to the survey, 70% said it increases stress levels. Another 67% linked it to reduced productivity, 65% to declining morale, and 53% to a heightened risk of burnout.What emerges is a paradox. AI promises efficiency, yet employees describe rising pressure. The time saved upfront may be offset by the time spent fixing what slipped through.
New generation attitudes and cultural misunderstandings
It is shown by the report that there are differences in perceived tolerance among age groups. Fifty-three percent of the people interviewed, or more, 53 per cent, think younger generations are more tolerant of work slop than the older workers.Although the research does not conclude on a lower value of quality by young workers, it does indicate changing workplace norms. Good enough” can be redefined in a different way by generation in fast-digitalised environments.
Beyond the individual organisational risks
Other than personal strain, employees experience larger institutional effects. Wasted time and lost productivity were the most likely risks mentioned by 36 percent of respondents regarding the low-quality output of AI. A third of the respondents (30 percent) cautioned against misleading or false information dissemination, whereas a quarter of the respondents (24 percent) emphasized on possible harm to the professional or organisational reputation.These issues imply that the use of workslop has not simply become a practical matter. It touches on credibility, accountability, and long-term trust.
The research underlying the results
The results of Zety are premised on the results of 1,000 employees in the US who have said that they have experienced workslop in their jobs. The sample was composed of 49 percent women, 50 percent men, and 1 percent nonbinary sample, with 12 percent of Gen Zs, 30 percent of millennials, 32 percent Gen X, and 26 percent baby boomers. The respondents were asked a set of yes/no, scale, and multiple-choice questions that discussed the effects of AI-generated low-quality jobs on day-to-day duties, stress, productivity, and expectations at work.The data taken together describes a workplace in transition. AI is speeding up production, yet the quality cost is gradually being eaten up by the employees. Unless there is better specification and responsibility, speed is going to be the yardstick of achievement – and employees, the silent guardians of all that passes on.
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