How to look busy at work: 7 best ways Gen Z is perfecting taskmasking - looking busy without actually working

• As companies push for full-time office returns, Gen Z workers are adapting in creative ways
• ‘Taskmasking’ is the new workplace trend focused on looking busy with minimal effort
• The concept has gained popularity on TikTok, with employees sharing their best strategies
• Experts say taskmasking reflects deeper workplace issues, not just laziness
• But with rising workplace surveillance, the future of taskmasking remains uncertain

As companies crack down on hybrid work, insisting employees return to the office full-time, Gen Z workers are faced with a dilemma: how do you look busy enough to appease a boss who is constantly watching?

Enter taskmasking, the latest workplace trend helping employees survive the 9-to-5 grind without actually doing much work.

Taskmasking is the art of appearing productive while expending minimal effort. It’s a performance, a carefully curated illusion of busyness designed to keep higher-ups satisfied.

The term has gained traction on TikTok, with young professionals sharing their best strategies for looking engaged while secretly doing the bare minimum.

(Photo: Pexels) | Pexels

With the end of remote work flexibility, workers who grew accustomed to handling tasks on their own schedules must now master the art of visual busyness.

For many Gen Z workers, this is their first experience in a traditional office setting, and they are quickly learning that looking busy is sometimes more important than actually being busy.

The culture writer Anne Helen Petersen described a similar concept in 2019 as “LARPing your job”, borrowing from the acronym for live-action role-playing.

Employees engage in performative tasks such as sending frequent emails, scheduling unnecessary meetings, or appearing deeply engrossed in their screens - all to signal productivity rather than actually achieving it.

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Gabrielle Judge, a former tech worker and now a workplace content creator known as the Anti Work Girlboss, told The Guardian how she and her coworkers taskmasked daily.

“People would look really busy when they were actually just getting lunch, or would wear their AirPods all day so it looked like they were in meetings,” she explained. “A lot of people would also just stare intensely at their computers.”

HR consultant Cierra Gross, who runs Caged Bird HR, believes taskmasking is a symptom of deeper workplace issues. “It’s inevitable that people will try to game the system in every company,” Gross said.

“Taskmasking might be associated with low performers, but high performers who quickly finish their work can also do it, too.”

7 ways to look busy at work without really working

If you’re navigating an office return and want to master the art of taskmasking, here are some tried-and-tested strategies to help you appear engaged while keeping your workload light.

The West Wing walk-and-talk

Moving briskly through the office while carrying a laptop, clipboard, or a coffee cup creates an air of importance. Bonus points if you furrow your brow as if contemplating a crucial work decision.

Loud typing

Whether you’re typing up nonsense or crafting your next grocery list, the sound alone makes it seem like you’re deep into a project.

Master the fake meeting

Wear AirPods and nod occasionally while staring at your screen. If questioned, just whisper “I’m on a call” and walk away quickly.

Keep a document open at all times

A spreadsheet or PowerPoint presentation filled with random data can be your best friend. If someone walks by, click around and sigh deeply, as though you’re tackling an impossible deadline.

Coffee runs and water cooler chats

If you discuss work while grabbing a coffee or standing by the water cooler, you’re technically “collaborating.” Stick to vague office lingo like “I’ll circle back on that” or “We should definitely align on this soon.”

The email shuffle

Send emails at strategic times - first thing in the morning and right before logging off. Even better, draft a few during the day and schedule them to send after hours to appear extra dedicated.

The double screen illusion

Keep a work-related tab open while scrolling social media on another. With quick reflexes, you can switch back whenever a manager walks by.

The risks of taskmasking

As AI and automation take over mundane tasks, employees may find themselves with even more free time.

While some will use it to upskill or take on additional responsibilities, others will refine their taskmasking techniques.

But surveillance technology is also on the rise - a 2021 study found that 80% of companies monitor their remote and hybrid workers, tracking everything from keystrokes to online activity.

Some offices have even introduced motion and light sensors to monitor employee presence.

For now, taskmasking remains a way for employees to regain a sense of control over their workday.

Whether you see it as a necessary survival skill or an act of resistance against unnecessary presenteeism, one thing is clear: Gen Z is redefining what “hard work” really looks like.

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