Stop 'task-masking' at work just to look busy

"TikTok has been abuzz with the workplace trend " task-masking "-that is, making yourself look busy so that your boss thinks you're hard at work. Cue behaviors like pounding hard on the keyboard, always keeping your status to "active," or walking around the office with your laptop and looking like you have somewhere to be when you don't. "It's all show. It's all performance," one TikTok user posted. "They could be typing a thousand words a minute, but really be typing nothing," posted another. Some argue that it's backlash against return-to-office policies: "Many of these employees, especially Gen Z, feel like their presence doesn't equal productivity," a TikTok user said. And crucially, "it's not just about laziness," wrote another, arguing the pressure to look busy "could actually be a sign of overwhelm.""

""Task-masking is the digital equivalent of shuffling papers," says employee coach and attorney Theresa D'Andrea, known as That Work Girl, who's also discussed the trend on TikTok. "It's an employer's market right now to get a job, so people feel like they have to be busier than usual in order to keep their jobs.""

"Nearly half (48%) of managers are concerned about employees who fake their productivity on the job-and not without reason. That's because 37% of managers and 32% of non-managers themselves admit to such "fauxductivity," or trying to appear busy even when they're not, according to a 2024 survey of 3,000 full-time employees in the U.S., U.K., and Ireland by Workhuman, an HR software company. That's not good for employees-or companies. Such pressure to look busy can lead to burnout and inefficiencies, D'Andrea says. Rampant task-masking may be a sign of workflow or cultural issues that management needs to address."

Task-masking involves performing visible work behaviors to appear busy, such as pounding keyboards, keeping status 'active', or carrying a laptop to seem occupied. The behavior has gained traction on TikTok and is often associated with Gen Z, though similar practices have existed for decades. Many employees use task-masking as a response to return-to-office mandates and perceived job insecurity. A 2024 Workhuman survey found 48% of managers worried about faked productivity, while 37% of managers and 32% of non-managers admitted to fauxductivity. Task-masking can cause burnout, inefficiencies, and signal deeper workflow or cultural problems that require management attention.

Read at Fast Company