If you've ever worked alongside someone who wasn't doing their job, you know how much harder that makes your own job. Whether they're lazy, stupid, unpleasant to be around, or just plain terrible at their jobs, these are the worst employees and laziest slackers in pop culture history.
George Costanza
George Costanza was not what one would call a "jack of all trades," since that usually implies being good at one's job. George's vast array of careers on Seinfeld ranged from bra salesman to assisting the Yankees. Time and time again, he was fired from the workplace for a litany of reasons, which included sleeping with the cleaning lady on his desk.
Rachel Green
While Rachel Green may have been able to work her way up through the fashion world on Friends, she was a terrible waitress at Central Perk. Rachel worked at the coffeehouse for a number of years and spent most of her free time there, but her customer service skills never improved. In the end, Rachel moved on to a job that she actually enjoyed, but her tenure at Central Perk was painful to witness.
Diane Chambers
Diane Chambers worked at the titular bar in Cheers as a cocktail waitress, but she believed herself to be above the rest of the patrons. Snooty and opinionated, she was the antithesis of her customers in every way. Diane's long-winded intellectual commentary created tensions between herself and her coworkers, too.
Peter Gibbons
This overworked, overpaid computer programmer wants nothing more than to sit on the couch and do literally nothing—and thanks to an occupational hypnotherapist, Peter Gibbons gets to live out this fantasy. Of course, anyone who has seen Office Space knows that things quickly go awry, but in the end, Peter learns to embrace his inner slacker.
Michael Scott
Although Michael was Dunder Mifflin's top salesman for a number of years on The Office, those skills did nothing for him when he assumed the role of Regional Manager. Jim even made a graphic depicting Michael's activities at work which indicated that he spent most of his time procrastinating or wasting his employees' time. It's honestly a miracle that he managed to keep his job for so long.
Mike McLintock
One might expect the White House Press Secretary to be slightly more competent, but Veep's Mike McLintock dropped the ball so many times that it's difficult to recount them all. Despite his constant blunders, McLintock gained respect as a journalist after his run alongside Selina Meyer, eventually being promoted to lead anchor of CBS Evening News.
Wayne & Garth
Aside from The Blues Brothers, Wayne's World is the most successful SNL sketch to transition to film, thanks to Mike Myers' and Dana Carvey's performance as Wayne and Garth. After their show is bought out by a major TV corporation, the babe-loving metalheads figure out how to party on by doing the bare minimum.
Cheech & Chong
Dimwitted, clueless, and perpetually high, Cheech and Chong are the two most notorious slackers in history. The '70s and '80s were dominated by these guys, both of whom starred in stoner flicks like Up in Smoke, Nice Dreams, Things are Tough All Over, and Cheech and Chong's Next Movie.
Major Frank Burns
No matter how critically wounded a soldier might be, nobody would willingly be operated upon by M*A*S*H's Frank Burns. Although Burns claimed to be a disciplinarian, his ineffectiveness earned him the nickname "Ferret Face." Frank was once described by Larry Linville, who played the character on television, as a man with "a mind that had stripped its gears."
Ed
Nick Frost makes for the slacker of the decade in Shaun of the Dead. Frost plays Ed, a lazy oaf whose only passion in life is playing video games. Of course, Ed and his roommate Shaun are thrown for quite a loop when the zombie apocalypse takes hold.
Bill & Ted
Despite how much this time-traveling duo wants their rock band to reach the height of success, their lack of ambition and careless attitude leaves them close to flunking out of school. Bill and Ted don't even bother to learn how to play the instruments. Instead of practicing, they spend their days shooting mindless music videos to mail to Edward Van Halen.
Kumar Patel
Slacking off and smoking pot are Kumar Patel's two favorite activities, as evidenced by his roles in the Harold & Kumar franchise. In Hard & Kumar Go to White Castle, the film opens with Kumar telling his would-be employer that he's off to go get so stoned that he can't feel his skull. Although Kumar might secretly be a genius, it's hard to look past the cloud of marijuana smoke obscuring his talent from view.
Saul Silver
In Pineapple Express, Saul Silver lives the slacker's dream—all he does is smoke pot and watch stupid YouTube videos. In fact, Saul spends most of his time so high that he can barely comprehend anything around him. He may have a big heart, but this drug dealer's days are spent glued to the couch.
Sookie Stackhouse
Over the course of True Blood's seven seasons, it remains a mystery as to whether Sookie Stackhouse completed more than two full shifts at her job. She would appear on the premises, don an apron, and then disappear before taking a single order. How did Merlotte's stay afloat with such terrible customer service?
Randal Graves
Anti-work, anti-authority, and anti-Lord of the Rings, wisecracking slacker Randal does the bare minimum to scrape by in Clerks. Randal is a character whose entire life is based on the premise of passing time. The most effort that Randal exerts in the film is when he meanders over to the Quick Stop to say hello to Dante.
Ben Stone
It may seem like Seth Rogen plays an iteration of the same character in every movie... and that's not necessarily wrong. In Knocked Up, Seth is Ben Stone, a lazy stoner whose life is suddenly upheaved by a surprise pregnancy. Before news of the baby, Ben doesn't have a job or any hobbies outside of doing drugs and hanging out with his friends.
Scott Pilgrim
This twenty-something wannabe rockstar only plays the bass when it's convenient for him. In Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Scott Pilgrim's primary motivation is to improve his own life with little regard for those around him. Roxy Richter, the fourth Evil Ex, summed it up better than anyone else: "Fight your own battles, lazy ass!"
David Wooderson
Dazed and Confused was Matthew McConaughey's big break. Once a star football player, Wooderson skipped college to work for the city and slack off to his heart's content. Wooderson may be in his mid-twenties, but that doesn't stop him from reliving his glory days with high school kids.
Johnny Fever
Sarcastic, cheeky, drunk at work, and anti-authority, Johnny Fever was a nightmare to employ. However, during his days on WKRP in Cincinnati, he did spin some sweet tunes. These days, a machine can do all the disk jockey work, rendering his job obsolete—which, in all likelihood, is maybe a good thing.
Benjamin Braddock
The Graduate's Benjamin Braddock is just about as aimless as one can be. The post-grad ennui consumes Braddock, and all he wants to do after school is relax by his parents' pool by day and spend time having an affair with the older Mrs. Robinson at night. He has no ambitions, and instead channels all of his energy into stalking Mrs. Robinson's daughter.
Andy Bernard
According to Dwight Schrute, Andy is the worst salesman at Dunder Mifflin Scranton on The Office—in his words, even worse than Phyllis. Despite his terrible job performance, Andy is promoted to Regional Manager after Michael departs the company, only to be fired later. Although he returns to the position, his lack of professionalism causes him to leave the role once again.
Raddimus
All of the restaurant employees in 2005's Waiting... are terrible, but one stands out among the rest. Raddimus, played by Luis Guzmán, makes sure to add extra "seasoning" to orders returned to the kitchen by unsatisfied customers, as well as sleeping with someone in the men's restroom.
Carla Tortelli
When Carla Tortelli wasn't busy yelling at her coworkers, the perpetually pregnant Cheers waitress was dumping beer on regulars, terrifying the newbies, or hitting on any of Sam's old baseball buddies when they stopped by the bar. Although her attitude on the show was endearing, at any other establishment, she would have been out the door.
Bender
Bender may have three times the strength and stamina of a human, but that doesn't stop him from trying to take the easy way out of a job. Bender likes to live hedonistically; his main hobby is coming up with ways to make money without actually working.
John Blutarsky
Bluto was one of the original slackers, brought to life by John Belushi in Animal House. This loud, obnoxious, party-animal frat bro is more concerned with how many beers he can chug than how many classes he's actually passing.
Jeff Spicoli
Jeff Spicoli wouldn't be able to show up to class on time even if his life depended on it. Although this goofy stoner is despised by his teachers, young Sean Penn was amusing to watch as he stripped down in burger joints and banged up the star athlete's ride.
Gina Linetti
Gina Linetti was too obsessed with social media and her phone to pay much attention to her job on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She says numerous times that she doesn't value her colleagues as people. The only reason she has a job in the first place is thanks to Jake, who she knew from childhood.
Barney Fife
This deputy on The Andy Griffith Show would have fared quite poorly anywhere other than Mayberry. His shortcomings only came to light when the real danger was present—a rare occasion in the North Carolina town. Although Barry saw himself as a hero, it was simply a delusion. Fortunately for the citizens of Mayberry, every day was a slow day.
John Bender
Of the five kids that are forced to attend Saturday detention in The Breakfast Club, John Bender is easily the "degenerate" of the group. Among his fellow students—an athlete, a princess, a nerd, and a bonafide basket case—Bender is the rebellious slacker. Fortunately, by the end of the film, it becomes obvious that there's more to him than what meets the eye.
Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson has held approximately 188 jobs throughout The Simpsons' 27 seasons. Although he's mainly a nuclear technician, he has bungled more jobs than George Constanza and almost destroyed the planet on at least three occasions.
Mac Donald
Ronald "Mac" McDonald may think of himself as "The Sheriff of Paddy's" on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but unfortunately, his failures prove otherwise. Mac believes that he is highly skilled at combat; he also thinks that he can achieve massive feats of strength and assess strangers' threat levels. Despite this, Mac has always performed pitifully when it comes to acting as the brawn of the operation.
Andy Dwyer
Andy Dwyer held a few positions over the course of Parks and Recreation, but for a period of time, he served as Leslie's assistant, making him a government employee. Despite this, Andy never seemed to be totally aware of the fact that he had a job at all. To put it simply, the lights were on in Andy's head, but nobody was home.
Cosmo Kramer
Like George, Kramer was a bit of a jack of all trades... sort of. He spent over a decade on strike from his job at a bagel shop. However, the only time he really relished in the 9-to-5 grind was when he took an unpaying position at Brandt/Leland after being mistaken for a coworker by the staff. Eventually, he was "fired" for his incomprehensible work—except that would have required this Seinfeld character to have been hired in the first place.
Woody Boyd
Although Woody Boyd had a heart, he was lacking when it came to brains—but the writers made Woody naïve and unsophisticated for a good reason. After the death of Nicholas Colasanto, who played Ernie "Coach" Pantusso on Cheers, Woody Harrelson's character replaced the dim-witted hole Coach had left behind.
Sgt. Schultz
Sergeant Schultz turned a blind eye to some of the most egregious POW transgressions for the price of a pastry. He slept on the job and let prisoners hold his rifle when he needed to relax. At least this Hogan's Heroes character owned up to the fact that he knew nothing so often that it became his tagline.
Jian-Yang
This shady app developer was the only member of Erlich's incubator on Silicon Valley who wasn't involved with Pied Piper. After a series of failed apps, Erlich attempts to evict Jian-Yang, only for him to claim squatter's rights, earning him free housing for up to a year.
The Dude
Jeff Lebowski is a man of many names, but you probably know him as the Dude. The Dude is the king of all slackers. In the Coen Brothers' 1998 classic The Big Lebowski, the Dude is an unemployed pacifist who whittles away the hours by digging for roach clips and listening to whale sounds on cassette. Most importantly, he has the ultimate slacker hobby: bowling.
Barry
Jack Black plays Barry in High Fidelity, a man who truly embodies the slacker mentality. He doesn't just show up to work late—he chases customers away when their music tastes aren't up to his standard. The worst part? Even if Barry was fired, he'd just keep coming back.
Al Bundy
Al Bundy once had dreams in Married... With Children, but all of those went out the window once he started working at a women's shoe store. He took out all his frustrations with life's unending disappointments on the women who had the misfortune to enter the premises.
The Super Troopers
Super Troopers is a great film because it truly encapsulates the feeling of trying to fight boredom, as evidenced by the five Vermont state troopers who are at risk of losing their jobs due to inactivity. Still, the men invent plenty of unproductive ways to occupy themselves in the meanwhile.
Erlich Bachman
This arrogant entrepreneur owns 10% of Pied Piper on Silicon Valley. Although Richard believes that Erlich is important to the business, Erlich is a stoner who no longer codes because he allegedly has severe carpal tunnel syndrome. Whlie Erlich is a charismatic negotiator and public speaker, his continued failures leave him drugged out and stranded in Tibet at the end of the series.
Ed Tom Bell
Ed Tom Bell, the sheriff of Terrell County in No Country for Old Men, can talk all he wants about the people who came before him—but Bell's own policing is nothing short of pathetic. After walking in on a shootout, he scoffs at the suggestion that he reexamine the scene, which is exactly how he reacts whenever someone forces him to do his job.
Dee Reynolds
Dee Reynolds always wanted to be an actress, which is perhaps one of the many reasons why she's such a poor waitress and unskilled bartender. The It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia character has been working at Paddy's Pub for years, but she can't even make simple drinks like a mojito. Dee is often rude to customers and has admitted to "double-dropping," a practice that involves intentionally using the same check for two tables and pocketing the difference.
Gavin Belson
Once the Chief Innovation Officer at Hooli, Gavin Belson was the main antagonist on Silicon Valley. Gavin was ruthless, cruel, selfish, and apathetic; he would stop at nothing to put his company on top, but his attempts to take down Pied Piper always ended up backfiring. His fall from grace was so spectacular that Gavin eventually leaves the tech world to become a romance author for old ladies.
Jerry Gergich
It's easy to determine that Jerry Gergich was easily the worst employee in Pawnee on Parks and Recreation. His reputation as a total screw-up makes him an easy target for bullying. Even though he's sweet and caring, Jerry is absolutely hopeless when it comes to his work. Somehow, Jerry ends up becoming the mayor of Pawnee, but we never see how that happens—most likely because it's by accident.
Creed Bratton
Although Creed Bratton technically executes quality assurance for Dunder Mifflin, he doesn't even work there. He can't remember his job title and spends most of his time playing games on the computer. Creed only goes to the office so he can get a paycheck and stay off the streets.
April Ludgate
By the end of Parks and Recreation, April Ludgate has made some impressive moves, but her time as an intern was something else. April is dark, cynical, and pretends not to care about anything. Her biggest screw-up was when she accidentally booked all of Ron's meetings for the same day because she didn't believe that March 31 was a real date.
Gilligan
Gilligan's heart was in the right place, but his efforts always went awry. If the rest of the castaways on Gilligan's Island had let the headhunters have him or fed him to the giant tarantula or allowed him to perish in any number of ways, they likely would have been back to civilization in a matter of weeks.
Lane Pryce
Mad Men's Lane Pryce was ultimately one of the worst employees at the firm. He betrayed his colleagues by embezzeling funds and gives himself a bonus by forging Don's signature. In the end, Lane was fired from the job. He couldn't live with the guilt and shame of what he had done and took his own life.
Ron Swanson
Ron Swanson is a terrible government employee and proud of it on Parks and Recreation. As someone who despises local government, Ron giggled with glee during the government shutdown. While Ron is a great friend and mentor, he wants to see the institution come crumbling down, even if it costs his coworkers their jobs.
Ryan Howard
Once a temp at the Dunder Mifflin office, Ryan Howard started off at the company with good intentions. However, his rapid rise throughout the company and his move to New York sent him down a rabbit hole of misfortune, beginning when he set fire to the Scranton office by accident. Eventually, Ryan was arrested for committing fraud.
Meredith Palmer
Meredith's drinking problem made her one of the worst employees at Dunder Mifflin on The Office. At an office party, she flashed Michael. At another meeting, she burned her hair while dancing. She even admitted to having a sexual relationship with a supplier to get discounts for the company and food coupons for herself.
Dennis Reynolds
Like his father, Dennis Reynolds is perhaps a truly evil person. Aside from the fact that he may be a serial killer, he often takes the lead in many of the gang's schemes. As the co-owner of Paddy's Pub, he can do basically anything he wants with the place... including installing a glory hole in the men's room.
Adam, Blake, & Anders
Adam, Blake, and Anders met in college and continued to act like they were still school long after graduation. As these three settled into a adulthood, their jobs at TelAmeriCorp came second to partying, drinking, and pulling pranks. For that reason, they clashed with their boss and other employees.
Doug Murphy
This pathologist on Scrubs started as a medical intern the same year as Turk, J.D., and Elliot, but he was a totally incompetent doctor, accidentally killing a number of his patients. His repeated exposure to death is what led him to become a pathologist. Dr Cox once noted that Doug had "killed so many patients, I'm starting to think that he just might be a government operative."
Ned Rochlin
Ned Rochlin in Our Idiot Brother is a man of great intentions and poor execution. To start off, Ned is arrested for selling weed to a uniformed police officer. Although he isn't so much a slacker as he is dumb as a rock, Ned's efforts are eventually channeled into opening up a small homemade candle shop, which is the only job he's truly capable of holding.
Frank Reynolds
The gang in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia have schemed their way through life for our amusement for a number of years. That being said, Frank Reynolds is one of the worst of the bunch. Although he's a successful businessman, Frank has a long history of diabolical manipulations and illegal operations, always trying to get others to do his dirty work for him.
Freddy Rumsen
Once a senior copywriter at Sterling Cooper on Mad Men, Freddy's drinking forces him to take a leave of absence after drunkenly peeing in his pants and passing out before a very important meeting with the Samsonite luggage representatives. His tenure at the company was the only reason he didn't get fired.
Dewey Finn
In 2003's School of Rock, Dewey Finn is a unique slacker in that he is passionate, but only about making music. Other than that, he's very much content with sleeping through the day and remaining ignorant to the world around him. "Would you tell Picasso to sell his guitars?" he once remarked incredulously.
Ferris Bueller
The tagline of Ferris Bueller's Day Off is "One man's struggle to take it easy," which defines Ferris Bueller to a tee. Ferris will do anything to play hooky for a day; he even involes his best friend and his girlfriend. After a day full of shenanigans, his parents even suggest he takes another day off at the end of the film, none the wiser to his activities in their absence.