Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
35 Ingenious Things These People Do To Look Busy At Work, And You May Want To Take Notes
'Productivity paranoia' is a term coined by Microsoft chief Satya Nadella, and it describes the not-so-new concern that workers who perform their duties at home aren't as effective or honest.
In fact, around 85% of leaders in a survey from September 2022 said hybrid arrangements make it hard for them to be confident that expectations are met.
But the joke's on them. Many are faking it in the office, too. There's a viral thread on Reddit where people have been revealing their go-to ways to "look busy" when they feel like taking it easy, and the abundance of replies make it clear that this practice is pretty universal.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Former manager here (went back to consulting because it’s more fun.)
Just get your job done. I told my employees as much. Hell I spend 30-40% of my day on non work stuff but it helps me recharge and then I get more done in a half day than many of my peers do in a week.
Superb Owl 2 years ago
I've had managers who thought the appropriate reward for being good at my job and getting things done quickly is more work.
ADHORTATOR 2 years ago
That's it. I can see the screens of my team and when I see they are on Amazon or ebay I know that everything is working fine :-)
Wysteria_Rose 2 years ago
Yep. I get everything done and don't explain how much free time I really have.
R Dennis 2 years ago
My wife's previous job was like this... I would be between locations (long days, lots of driving/flights) and call my wife to ask her how her day was going. She would say things like "We all went for ice cream." They were more concerned with the work you accomplished, not the time you spent doing it.
SelkieBlackfysh 2 years ago
Sounds like a good manager. I'm much more familiar with the sort who say stupid things like U GOT TIEM 2 LEEN U GOT TIEM 2 CLEEN.
RELATED:
#2
Been 5 years since I worked in an office but these:
In a call centre I’d dial a number I knew would not connect (ie leave last digit off). The line registered as busy so my ‘busy on a call’ stats were always very high. Just had to remember to cover the phone light with something if I walked away to make a coffee or something.
Always leave something on the computer screen that is an excel document with lots of data etc. remember to scroll from time to time and don’t use a screen saver. Ideally your screen should be not seen by others walking past but this is for when you can’t control that.
Tell others how busy you are. Needs to be done carefully so you aren’t seen as a drama queen. Just time to time and slightly under your breath comments ‘well anyway got to get back to my desk, lots on’. Or in staff meetings or with your manager praise the team. ‘Thanks everyone for all the hard work getting done, this is a great team’
Always carry documents with you when walking around the office. A folder or just any papers. Great for going to a chat with a coworker. From afar.. if you are seen holding papers you look busy and it must be about work right.
Thinking on that last point. Walk with purpose. Walk slightly faster than normal from A to B.
Stay 5 mins later than others leaving office for the day. Come to work 5 mins before they do. Leave empty coffee mugs on your desk in the morning. Make a coffee. But have one with dregs as a spare prop. You’ve ‘been in for ages’ at a glance.
Ohhh I’m having a bit too much fun with this. Lol.
CJ Vee 2 years ago
What about just doing the job? I mean if someone hates their job that much, maybe look for something else. I know sometimes that may not be a simple option. I’ve worked lots of bs jobs I didn’t like myself, believe me. But I can’t believe how much effort some people will go through to “look busy”.
One strange Corinthian 2 years ago (edited)
I've done most while in office and some others from home. Am I slacking? NO? Am I slaving? Hell NO. This is proof that productivity is a concept that's different for everyone. If I'm reaching my targets and sometimes overcome them should I not just slack off the rest of the day? Honestly speaking they should let you go once your job is done regardless of the shift that's remaining. But thing is that employers try to get fat out of flies so if they see you do your job in 4-5 hours they'll give you extra work for the next 3-4 hours for the same pay. Thanks but no thanks. If you're trying to exploit me then my work ethics get low like a b***h in the club!
AliJanx 2 years ago
HR here: in todays world, data can be pulled to see exactly what you've been doing, sites you're going to, times your computer's been active, etc. just do your job and go home. No need to a superstar, just do your work-and don't give your leadership a reason to pull your stats.
#3
Find another job. If I need to "look busy" rather than "be productive," I'm working for an idiot.
Monday 2 years ago
All depends on the pay. If you expect me to be productive you have to pay me a productive wage...and that's something that's hard to come by in this economy. If I'm going to be making s**t pay either way I'd rather just look busy.
Lynette Vella 2 years ago
That's the problem with young people today - not self-respect (or respect, as far as that goes).
Load More Replies... One strange Corinthian 2 years ago (edited)
If you believe that giving your all at work will ever be appreciated by your boss you might be the idiot....Also keep in mind that not everyone can pull it off. If I have greater potential than the job is paying for (which is my current situation) why should I give them my full potential for half it's worth? I slack off half of the day completing personal tasks and work the other half. My company is extremely pleased with my performance and I get a productivity bonus almost monthly. If THEY KNEW my potential they'd run me to the ground for the same money.....makes sense? Now if you struggle with the works tasks and your performance of course you cannot even think of slacking off ...in case you're wondering why I stay at a job that I'm overqualified for, it's because I'd rather make less money and get a better life quality. I don't like stress....
P.A. Yearsley 2 years ago
I disagree. People your time is a corporate resource. Like why are you doing the job of 3 people all at the cool discount of one? You will never see the profits you have created for the CEO and stakeholders. So why? I feel like I need a fellow American to explain it to me 😭
SelkieBlackfysh 2 years ago
Constant work unsurprisingly has a toll on the body. I work for what I'm paid. You want hard and productive, you pay me that. You're paying me show up wages? Alright. Here I am.
#4
I’m a cleaner/janitor in a warehouse complex
I just grab a broom or a bucket
Can walk laps of the place for hours without doing anything if I want
G M 2 years ago (edited)
When I worked at Toys R Us I spent at least half of my shift walking around the parking lot “looking for” shopping carts to bring back inside.
WaffleLord 2 years ago
Idk why someone downvoted you. Heres an upvote to balance it out.
Load More Replies...
Fabian Bernard 2 years ago
As a gardener, the older employees told me on the first day : walk around but always with a tool on your hands. Even our boss tell us to slow down to justify our overstaffing. He said he'd rather see that than people being unemployed. Note that we are a non profit company, it helps
UncleJon_TheMadScientist 2 years ago
Back when I was a teenager I got one of the best pieces of advice, old guy I worked with told me not to be so anxious about working his exact words were "don't keel that job, make it lass. The bossman jus gonna gives you more to do that don't needs doin anyway" he did say later on "jus as long as you get yer basic job handled thass all that matters"
Adam Chang 2 years ago
True. I empty my pockets next to my table 2 months ago. I see the cleaning lady in our floor every day. Stuff from my pocket still there.
LK 2 years ago
If I were a cleaner, I would not remove items from a person's desk. Each time I cleaned I'd think, "Ooh for goodness sake, you are an adult. Do something with this! Either tidy it away or put it in a rubbish bin. There's no need for this c**p to by lying around for 2 months!"
Load More Replies... #5
I have no idea how you guys can do nothing with so much dedication and intensity. I get twitchy if I don't have a problem to solve or something to focus on, so how the f**k can you manage to last 8 HOURS while doing nothing but staring at nothing on your screens? I really don't get it. I think I was born broken.
Erica Knapp 2 years ago
Same! I'm not a ride the clock person... either give me something to do or let me go home where I always have plenty to do lol
Load More Replies... G M 2 years ago
Easy! Solve a non work related problem. You should see the family budget spreadsheets I’ve created at work.
Zane Lumagrowl 2 years ago
I made an Excel spreadsheet documenting and pricing my entire Yugioh card collection while on the clock!
Load More Replies...
Jennifer Norton 2 years ago
It's not about spending 8 hours doing nothing... it's about not letting people above you know you can complete a task faster than they think it can be done. For instance, if they think a task takes an hour and you can do it in 20 minutes you let them think it's taking the full hour. otherwise you get a ton more work dumped on you for no more pay. That's the game... it's stupid but it is what it is!
One strange Corinthian 2 years ago
Exactly! Majority of my chill time at work is coming from completing tasks in 20 minutes and once I'm sure they're done well, I'll chill the other 35 given for said task. I'm still doing a great job and be done 5 minutes earlier than expected. Everyone is happy. If I told them I can do it in 20 the boss would be happy but both me and the co workers that cannot complete it in 20 minutes will be unhappy. I believe that people who can achieve things easier and faster at work do not need to raise the bar for the rest. Competitive working if due when there is a chance for a promotion (a paid one cause at my job they promote your responsibilities with the same pay lol) so I'd rather avoid said promotions....
Load More Replies... 
One strange Corinthian 2 years ago (edited)
We don't stay there doing nothing for 8 hours. If we did it would show in our performance and numbers. What we do is not putting in 💯 of our energy. For example, I'm slacking off half of the day and work hard the other half, my managers keep praising my performance. But IF they knew my potential, their expectations would be much higher and they would push me to my limit. That's all....Work as much as you're paid for...as long as your job is done properly and since they will never let you chill once you're done but will try to put extra work on top of your head since "you can handle it", we get to become liars too to avoid being exploited and mentally exhausted by the time we get off...
Killing_Time_At_Work 2 years ago
and this is why i am on bored panda, i sit at a computer 8hours a day scrolling through everything. while answering phones booking in customers at Volkswagen its so easy to look busy i focus on pretending to be busy its good for my brain. haha
#6
If my Boss starts giving me the side eye tomorrow while I'm scowling at my computer screen, constantly running to the office scanner, and leaping from my desk and into the hallway with a folder and a pen, I'll know he follows this sub.
#7
Just look frustrated with whatever you're doing.
Squint at your computer screen, shake your head, let out an occasional sigh, have a bunch of papers on your desk you can rifle through periodically.
You don't want to look so frustrated that you might need some help, but if you do this right everybody will think you're already too busy with something to be bothered.
Wysteria_Rose 2 years ago
On occasion, my boss will say "you look like you're concentrating very hard, everything ok?" In reality, I'm reading bored panda and can't see the screen very well. Obviously my computer doesn't face them.
#8
I frequently write emails to myself. Could be my grocery list, to-dos for after work, ideas that I don’t want to forget, or planning the upcoming weekend. It’s a great way to make my free time more efficient and organized while killing time at work.
LesAnimaux 2 years ago
I had a job as a seo/blog writer once. I got a lot of work done in a day, just not *constantly*. I can't turn my creativity on and off during office hours. My boss, however, seemed to think I should be typing consistently for 8+ hours a day. He'd check if I was actually typing, not what I was typing. Super toxic, glad to be away from that job. Anyway that's how I wrote a stage play and two novels.
Salty Sasquatch 2 years ago
I was waiting for that last sentence! I'm bored so much at work. I don't write fiction but I do write nonfiction aka memoirs. But I always thought someone who writes fiction would love my job.
Load More Replies... Sandy Parker 2 years ago
IF you saw the amount of personal stuff that's on my desk - everyone would laugh!
fair_weather_rose 2 years ago
Sometimes when I'm at school I write emails from my school email to my personal email. I usually do it to avoid schoolwork, but I've had several very interesting conversations with myself.
JoNo 2 years ago
I don't write much. I'll send emails between myself at home & work (reminders mainly) and only use the subject line.
Load More Replies... #9
Find something to read that they can’t tell isn’t work if they don’t look close. Like did you know the script of the Truman show is online somewhere? That was a fun day.
Schlay van Gay 2 years ago
Did you know you can open your kindle library in a web browser? Just type read.amazon.com
Bols 2 years ago
HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS! Thanks a lot! I ran out of memes :D
Load More Replies...
Mad Dragon 2 years ago
OpenLibrary.org has millions of current and out-of-print books you can read for free.
Salty Sasquatch 2 years ago
My local library also has ebooks you can read on your ereader or on your computer at work. I've got one pulled up right now.
Upstaged75 2 years ago
Yup. There are also free libraries online with books on PDF. I read a ton at one job. Just pretend to type every now and then so you don't look weird. :)
John Knoernschild 2 years ago (edited)
I have outlook open and then open a chrome window in the size of the reading pane in outlook. If anyone walks by, looks like I'm reading emails, but really I'm surfing the web. Works great
Charlie Birkner 2 years ago
archive.org has lots of books as well. there's also "reader mode" plugins for almost every web browser
#10
If you work in a big enough building, you just put something important looking in one hand (papers, a clipboard works perfectly, etc) and scurry intensely from one random place to the next. Make friends in different areas, stop to chat briefly. Find the good clean remote restroom and use it. Grab a cup of coffee. Help somebody else with work that's more interesting than yours, etc. Rinse, repeat.
As long as you're holding something official looking (change it up) and *hurrying semi-urgently* from place to place you can go like this right up to your yearly review. Hopefully you managed to get some actual amazing s**t done here and there along the way.
Two_rolling_black_eyes 2 years ago
I had an econ professor tell the class the secret to success is to make sure your boss sees you walking quickly somewhere once an hour with something in your hand (folder, printouts, laptop,etc). It makes you look busy and the something in your hand makes it look like someone else needs your work.
#11
Some of the work I do involves engineering maps.
Pull up a complicated-looking map, put on headphones with audiobook, let my eyes glaze over for an hour or 2 looking at the map.
People walk by and assume I'm trying to do some sort of complicated logistics/planning in my head. In reality I'm on book 12 of the Dresden Files.
Salty Sasquatch 2 years ago
I LOVE those books! The last book just made me really really sad though.
#12
- Downloaded PDF version of a book and open it up
- Split screen with an excel sheet
- Read
I powered through the Game of Thrones book series in 2-3 months at my last job. It's my go to way to kill time and look busy at work.
tom qwerty 2 years ago
i do that during class wheni am done all of the work and have nothing to do
#13
I have a steady flow of work these days, but when I first started, my position was brand new. So there was not a lot to do, and it's actually the reason I joined reddit. Figured I could stay current with all the free time I had.
But yeah those first few months were rough, so I started emailing myself really long articles and short stories. I'd then either just read them straight from email, or I'd past them into an Excel/Word/Publisher document.
A lot of the articles came from here: https://kk.org/cooltools/best-magazine-articles-ever/
#14
I'm a social media manager, so I can just browse through instagram and pretend I'm looking for inspiration, influencers or the competition.
Jennifer Norton 2 years ago
I work for a pop culture company and we all do this. It's mostly for work but I will tell you that probably 30% of the time it's just us killing time!
#15
I've had the same spreadsheet open for 4 days, no one has said anything, and I still got paid so I guess it's working.
JoNo 2 years ago
Wouldn't a supervisor or boss expect some output, something to show you are working? Surely sooner or later someone would be questioning what work you've done?
Richard busta 2 years ago
When you have dozens of people in the office as long as they are not the guy that does everything or the ones that mess up stuff constantly people slip through the cracks. A lot of the time several people are assigned to the same project just a slightly different part (compartmentalized) so once a review comes around mumble through it. Like yeah, I was on project b point to a random part you sorta remember. A lot of the time management doesn't know what most employees do.
Load More Replies...
#16
Open up various tools for system monitoring and look at them. If something went tits up we'd get an email so I don't really need to do that, but it looks busy and maybe I'll notice something important.
Otherwise I take some training courses or something. Most aren't very good but it's fuel for my self evaluation come mid year.
#17
Sit at my desk for 15 minutes, walk to the file cabinet room, pull out a random file, make three copies, walk through the hall so everyone sees me with paperwork in my hand, slip out the side door, go to my truck, take a 30 minute nap, walk back through the hallway with my paperwork, shred it, go back to my desk. If anybody asks I just tell them I'm cleaning up paperwork before the end of the billing cycle. I can repeat this all day long if I need to.
#18
Open an excel spreadsheet ...start filling it..my boss backs away lol
Heather Vandegrift 2 years ago
Like, the actual game where the bricks fall, or you just color in cells and then delete the row when it fills?
Load More Replies...
Lonely Tentacle 2 years ago
That just sounds like as much work as actually doing work. It might even be harder, because you'll have to improvise.
#19
When I was in the culinary field, anytime I wanted a short break, I'd just grab a random container and walk around with it. No one bothers you if you do haha. As for my current office gig, I recently started writing fan fiction with word or notepad during free time. Anyone who glances over at me sees me pounding away on the keyboard so they think I'm busy as f**k. In reality I'm writing away about people getting their a*s kicked or fighting monsters.
Krd 2 years ago
Be careful. If you use company resources (especially a computer with writing software) to write ANYTHING, even including whole novels that were only partly written on company property, is owned by that company. So good rule of thumb, don't do anything that can be monetized (like writing, coding, and the like) on devices you don't own or directly rent/lease (public resources, like the libraries computer should also be OK to use).
Justin Rogers 2 years ago
How can these people even look at themselves in the mirror or even feel like they earn a paycheck. This is theft and illegal
#20
Photocopy blank paper. Not my trick, but I used to love watching one of my coworkers do this for hours on end.
Tuna Fish 2 years ago
That's wasteful and expensive. Where I work we pay for service calls based on copy count.
El Howard 2 years ago
To say nothing of wasting dead trees. Reams of paper are expensive!
Load More Replies...
Kimberly Hurst 2 years ago
If they're photocopying blank paper, the blank copies could easily still be used. Hell, they could spend the entire day photocopying on the same sheet of paper...
JoTheLizard 2 years ago
I’d just put a piece of blank paper in the part where the print comes out and then pretend that it didn’t print well
#21
My coworkers don't really know computers like I do, and since my job is 90% on the computer, I just load up 3 or 4 explorer windows over a random Excel spreadsheet, and stare intently at it.
Shannon Hawks 2 years ago
same here, only cnc machinist at my job. no one else can even turn it on. you can guess the rest
Tucker Cahooter 2 years ago
I have macro enabled spreadsheets. I can load up the VBA editor and scroll up and down the code, maybe just add superfluous comments and later on remove them. Scares away any nosey parkers too
martymcmatrix 2 years ago
Don't stare! Set computer to create desktop shortcuts for each file you would open or download. Switch to minimum size for desktop icons and create the most unsettling look if any of the staff would be passing by and take a look at the screen. Then drag-and-drop every single desktop icon manually to the trash bin.
#22
I get in around 9:30 and usually zone out for an hour in front of my computer, but it looks like I'm working. I then zone out for another hour after lunch too. In fact, in a given day, I'd say I do fifteen minutes, of real, actual work.
raisin hippo 2 years ago
Yeah...If you could just format it correctly... that'd be great...
Load More Replies...
Keith Grzywacz 2 years ago
It says here that you've been missing quite a bit of work lately - "I wouldn't say that I've been MISSING it"
#24
When you look annoyed all the time, people think you’re busy
#25
If it's a job I care about and enjoy, I don't. If I'm not busy, I go and ask for more work. My first job out of college, I worked at a company that treated all of its employees like garbage. 17/24 people quit in the three months that I was there. There, I listened to audiobooks and pretended to click on Excel files. Good dental insurance, though. I got my first cavities ever while I was there, maybe from increase in alcohol to deal with the job, and I only had to pay like $100 to get all of them fixed and replace my retainer.
Salty Sasquatch 2 years ago
My husband got his first full-time job doing that. He worked at temp jobs, and if he finished one particular job he'd go to the supervisor and ask for more work. The one company kept finding more and more things for him to do and ended up hiring him as a permanent position.
OneHappyPuppy 2 years ago
Never ever "go ask for more work", sound advice which I got and I actually saw that backfire when a colleague at my current job went to tell the boss he had nothing to do so the boss sent him home. Permanently. Oh, almost forgot. Always pee on company time
#26
If I need to be unavailable urgently, I will pick up the phone and call my work center's voice mail. I'll listen or re-listen to every single second of every single voice prompt and message. People don't usually bother me if they see I'm on the phone.
Rita Saint 5 months ago
i use the virtual meeting simulator at fakemeetings.net -- does the job as well
#27
I know many people use this- (look like msoutllok but is really reddit) http://pcottle.github.io/MSOutlookit//
#28
I always keep a separate tab open with work related stuff to quickly change to and look at intently if someone walks by
Tall Tomatoe 2 years ago
at least on some computors alt tab switchs windows.
Load More Replies... #29
I'm a machinist but I have a desk so, not an office worker but this applies to me. I will browse MSC or McMaster-Carr and look at tools if a manager is around. When they ask what I am doing I reply with "spending company money".
JoJo Anisko 2 years ago (edited)
McMaster-Carr is still around? WOW! When I was a buyer for a maintenance department in the early 80s, that was whose catalog EVERYONE sourced their needs from.
Joe Gandalf 2 years ago
Yeah, they're still around, but just try getting a catalog from them! I'm still cherishing my 10 year old copy. A great resource.
Load More Replies... #30
Training videos. Always look like you are trying to better yourself
Heather Vandegrift 2 years ago
You can even pull up Ted Talks if you're company doesn't restrict YouTube, learn about whatever with headphones, and tell whoever sees you that it's something about how to improve productivity and worker satisfaction without spending more on salary!
#31
Type responses to reddit if they can't see my screen, type out ideas for a book if they can
Justin Rogers 2 years ago
Hope they track you down and sue for ownership as you stole from them and monetized something on their dime
Load More Replies... #32
Play games on the laptop. A girl sitting at a reception desk focused on a computer screen. Good enough.
Lynette Vella 2 years ago
In my last job, when I was done with my work and started feeling antsy, online Yahtzee was my savior - I can get in the zone and play that game with my eyes closed (well, almost)!
Salty Sasquatch 2 years ago
Send me a link to your favorite Yahtzee site please? I found one but it's extremely basic and not up to my level.
Load More Replies...
#33
I open up Excel and type random work words into the cells (ex: overtime, PTO, budget) I don't even know how to work Excel, but the higher ups appreciate all the work I'm doing lol
#34
Have on headphones. Have a print out of a report/study (bonus if its marked up with notes). Lean over it like I'm studying it intently. Take a nap.
#35
Management is pretty laid back where I work at. When we are busy, we get properly hammered and I'd be doing myself a disservice by not keeping up. So when I'm browsing YouTube with earphones, they know its a slow day with truly nothing to do.
#36
I used to have so many of these, but then about 5 years ago I switched to working mostly remotely from home and now it's just "wiggle my mouse every few mins so my Skype presence stays green"...
Tucker Cahooter 2 years ago
I found our default Skype for Business settings would flag me as inactive after five minutes. I bumped that up to 100 minutes so I didn't have to move the work laptop mouse so much while using my time more productively (i.e web surfing) on my personal PC next to the work laptop
#38
This was over thirty years ago, but a coworker and me used to delete one important file from a test UNIX server and then see how long it took the other to fix it. That was a great way to learn
#39
For the past year I'm being paid to watch Netflix and twitch because of how little work we were having. I don't even pretend to do anything anymore.
#40
About 2 years into my first office job, I really started digging into the various reports we had access to. I found one really obscure report, you know the type that was probably built for one specific project but they left it up anyways? Well I found out that it would actually give me all the updated numbers for my categories (retail corporate office) daily, as opposed to either at the beginning of the week, or having to run a BUNCH of reports when I needed them. I didn't really need this everyday, and it had a lot of excess I didn't need, but whatever. This report took about 5 minutes to run, but for some reason it basically locked up all the resources on the computer and I couldn't do anything pretty much. We used auto hotkey for a lot of functions, so I setup a quick script to F5 every 90 seconds, which would restart the report to run, without having to re-enter the parameters. Set it up to do that enough times for 30 minutes, combined with sitting with my back to the door and getting good at napping upright with my hands on the mouse and keyboard, and I got really nice 30 minute naps in the morning while looking busy running this report that took a while to run and was "prone to crashing and restarting".
#41
the power of walking with a folder in your hand with a little hustle, will get you far sometimes.
Heather Vandegrift 2 years ago
Add a hard hat and you can get in almost anywhere! If someone asks, you just say that someone called about a sprinkler problem on ____ floor (the floor you want to be on). Best on buildings with light security
#43
Have a spreadsheet open, with a formula cell or some type of graph also open. But in reality just on the internet. In my line of work, also having google maps or survey monkey tab open keeps me looking busy
#44
I used to read about the stock market and try and learn how to invest. No one ever said anything. But I guess that's not really a super slack way to spend time.
#45
Before my desk job days, when I was in retail/guest service, the equivalent was just power walking nowhere in particular with a slight scowl. It obviously meant I had somewhere important to be and shouldn’t be bothered
#46
I walk around telling the elves to work harder, most of the time while eating some cookies and sipping a nice whiskey. The Mrs. gets on me if I sit around too long in the off season.
#47
I sprout mung beans on a damp paper towel in my desk drawer. Very nutritious. But they smell like death.
#49
Have a stack of papers next to me. Take one of them and just start writing on it occasionally squinting at your computer screen. I just draw and write about how I’m currently feeling and make list of the things I need to do when I get home.
#50
I make a frowny face like I'm deeply concerned by something, and flip back and forth between tabs on my computer. Or I flip to a scribbled-on page in a notebook, make the same frowny face and scribble some more lines while holding my head in my other hand.
#51
Just click stuff. We have a system on our PC, I just go from this page to that, pretending to read stuff, click, click, click, very busy..
#52
Look busy, stare intently, I kept on researching the same invoice a bunch. It’s been horrible, I appreciate being in a work place, but my last gig, had lots of down time.
#54
Check a jira board that's not mine, but still interesting. For example there's one which shows which employee is approved which accesses.
#56
This'll sound like kissing a*s, but honestly, there is always work to do. I always have a side project for when my work is reasonably caught up, and a back-up project that's off-line work, for times when the computer system is unexpectedly down.
#59
Walk anywhere fast. Thats it. People think you're heading somewhere important if you walk quickly and with purpose. Little do they know I am only working out my glutes and nothing else.
#60
I prep content for my D&d games. Taxpayers money well spent in my opinion.
#61
Open up an old project on one screen, read articles/reddit on the other screen... If I hear someone coming, look at the other screen
#62
I write random day trading strategies and test them. I do this for work anyway and it's entertaining.
#63
Copy the spreadsheet I just finished onto another spreadsheet, unless someone is paying very close attention they won’t notice that it’s the same information.
#64
2 screens, full screen outlook open, a terminal, do an lsd in current directory, other screen jira, with a small YouTube screen.
#65
tip your chair over, they normally call the hospital immediately
Heather Vandegrift 2 years ago
Bad idea, you could actually get hurt and (of you are in the US) you can get charged for the ambulance coming out, even if they don't take you to the hospital, PLUS this is taking an ambulance crew away from REAL emergencies. Don't be an A-hole. Find another way to not do work at work
Chrum Mallorum 2 years ago
I don't know how you could think this is not a sarcastic suggestion
Load More Replies...
What do you think ?
JoJo Anisko 2 years ago
I guess I'm strange, but it disturbs me to see how many people are proud of screwing their employers and willing to broadcast the deets to the world.
Little L 2 years ago
If you can finish your job in five hours but you need to be there for eight hours why not?? People need their jobs.
Load More Replies...
Lorrie Rothstein 2 years ago
How can they still have a job? There has to be a supervisor who asks them for their work.
kath morgan 2 years ago
I feel like there must be a broader problem if nobody is noticing when stuff doesn’t get done.
Load More Replies...
Marcus Lynch 2 years ago
How many of the posters have asked for/demanded a raise while also working on their deception at work. Slaking losers.
Imjust jim 2 years ago
These are too much work - walk around with a pen and a clip board taking in everyone with one slow up, down and over look...not only will you look busy but you will be offered candy and treated with reverence.
Pan Narrans 2 years ago
I ran text adventures in a dos box. Loved thinking about the problems when working and trying my solutions when there was time. I'm somewhat older and fix lots of things with dos batch files and gained somewhat of a reputation of computer nerd while often playing adventures.
Brandon Parisien 2 years ago
My one office job had a key stroke tracker; most of this wouldn't work. Your co-workers know when you're slacking off too.
JoJo Anisko 2 years ago
I guess I'm strange, but it disturbs me to see how many people are proud of screwing their employers and willing to broadcast the deets to the world.
Little L 2 years ago
If you can finish your job in five hours but you need to be there for eight hours why not?? People need their jobs.
Load More Replies... Lorrie Rothstein 2 years ago
How can they still have a job? There has to be a supervisor who asks them for their work.
kath morgan 2 years ago
I feel like there must be a broader problem if nobody is noticing when stuff doesn’t get done.
Load More Replies... Marcus Lynch 2 years ago
How many of the posters have asked for/demanded a raise while also working on their deception at work. Slaking losers.
Imjust jim 2 years ago
These are too much work - walk around with a pen and a clip board taking in everyone with one slow up, down and over look...not only will you look busy but you will be offered candy and treated with reverence.
Pan Narrans 2 years ago
I ran text adventures in a dos box. Loved thinking about the problems when working and trying my solutions when there was time. I'm somewhat older and fix lots of things with dos batch files and gained somewhat of a reputation of computer nerd while often playing adventures.
Brandon Parisien 2 years ago
My one office job had a key stroke tracker; most of this wouldn't work. Your co-workers know when you're slacking off too.
You May Like 46 Work Moments So Reckless They Should Be Used In Training Videos 50 People Who Ended Their Jobs With Legendary Final Moments And Zero Regrets 50 Times People Did Their Jobs So Poorly That It Was Almost Impressive (New Pics)
Greta Jaruševičiūtė
Donata Ruzgaitė
Eglė Bliabaitė
Related on Bored Panda
