US Bosses Don’t Trust Gen Z with Secrets, Survey Finds

American employers are raising red flags about a growing workplace concern: Gen Z employees and data security.

A new survey suggests that many U.S. managers see younger workers — those born between 1997 and 2012 — as more likely than older colleagues to mishandle confidential business information. The trend is being linked to social media habits, casual oversharing, and a different understanding of workplace boundaries.

The findings, published by online security platform PasswordManager.com, come from a poll of 1,000 U.S. managers across various industries. The results point to a widening trust gap between generations at work.

Half of Managers See Gen Z as a Security Risk

According to the survey, 49% of managers said Gen Z employees pose a security risk, and 19% admitted they would not trust them with sensitive company data.

Managers say the distrust stems from specific online behaviors that risk exposing private information — from casual posts on TikTok to screenshots shared with friends.

“Almost half of employers believe younger workers are more likely than any other generation to leak company secrets,” the report stated.

Social Media Habits at the Center of Concern

The research highlights social media as a primary source of the problem.

47% of managers believe Gen Z workers might share confidential information online “for likes or engagement.”
34% said they had seen employees film TikTok-style ‘day-in-the-life’ videos at work, inadvertently showing sensitive material like whiteboards, computer screens, or paperwork.
28% reported seeing clips or screenshots from private video meetings shared online.

In one example, a healthcare manager said an employee posted a selfie online with patient details visible in the background, a potential breach of U.S. privacy regulations.

Examples of Leaks and Policy Violations

Beyond social media, the survey uncovered several types of breaches:

41% of managers said they had seen Gen Z employees share confidential company information with unauthorized individuals.
25% reported cases of staff posting about unreleased products, jeopardizing launch plans or giving competitors an edge.
23% saw real customer data used in humorous skits or casual posts.
Managers also described workers sharing screenshots of Slack or Teams chats or forwarding internal emails to mock corporate practices online.

In one case cited in the survey, a Gen Z worker leaked company policy details to a journalist. Others reportedly left computers unlocked with sensitive files visible to anyone nearby.

Why Generational Differences Matter

Experts say these incidents reflect deeper cultural and generational differences in how people perceive privacy. Gen Z is the first workforce cohort to grow up entirely in the social media era, where documenting daily life online is second nature.

Older managers often see this openness as incompatible with corporate confidentiality. Some suggest that young workers may underestimate the potential legal and financial consequences of sharing internal details — or fail to recognize how online posts can be exploited by competitors.

Implications for Workplace Security

The report underscores a growing challenge for companies as they integrate younger staff into critical roles. While Gen Z employees bring strong digital skills and creativity, their online habits may conflict with traditional data security expectations.

Cybersecurity experts say the solution lies in better training, clearer workplace social media policies, and stricter data protection protocols. Without these measures, managers warn that sensitive information could continue to be exposed, either accidentally or deliberately.

Trust Gap Could Widen Without Action

The PasswordManager.com survey suggests that nearly one in five managers would actively avoid entrusting Gen Z employees with confidential information, and nearly half view them as a potential liability.

Unless companies address these concerns through training and transparent guidelines, the generational trust gap may widen — potentially sidelining younger employees from key projects and deepening workplace divisions.