Typing loudly; wearing headphones to give the illusion of being in a meeting; picking up the phone and doing the overt ‘walk and talk’ across the office.
These might sound like standard office behaviours, but now, they’re all symptomatic of a new working trend known as ‘taskmasking’ – or, simply put, perfecting the art of ‘looking busy’ while arguably accomplishing very little.
It’s mostly about keeping up appearances, and has largely been attributed to Gen Z. The youngest generation of workers, the majority entered the workforce either mid or post-pandemic, as offices introduced working-from-home and hybrid policies.
And so, many aren’t as well-versed in office-working as their older counterparts.
‘As long as I have a clipboard in my hand while I’m walking around it’s assumed I’m doing something important,’ @WakingOwl1 wrote under a Reddit thread dedicated to the topic.
‘If you show up early in the morning, walk around with a clipboard, socialise loudly, this will snow so many people,’ @Charlie2and4 added, while @Atty_for_hire confessed that they’d been ‘successfully following’ this mentality since 2011 – long before Gen Z ever tried it – and had subsequently been ‘promoted up the ranks.’
However, in the last year or so the hybrid working mentality has started to shift, as in 2024, a report from KPMG found that 83% of UK CEOs expected that their employees would make a full return to the office within three years, marking an increase of 19% from 2023’s figures.
So, are Gen Z really ‘pretending’ to work? Or is it more complicated than that?
What is ‘taskmasking’?
Beth Hope is an executive coach specialising in leadership, authentic confidence, resilience and a high-performance mindset. As she explains, the definition of ‘taskmasking’ is ‘the art of appearing busy at work without engaging in meaningful work.’
‘While not new, the resurgence of ‘taskmasking’ has come from a post-Covid era of companies mandating “back to office” policies where office presence is being equated to productivity,’ Beth adds.
But in her view, the reality behind ‘taskmasking’ is much more nuanced. It’s not necessarily that Gen Z – and other employees, mind – are always ‘pretending’ to work.
‘Many younger employees entered the workforce remotely and are now learning how to perform ‘office work’ in a traditional setting,’ Beth explains.
‘Without clear expectations or structured guidance, ‘taskmasking’ can become a coping strategy, a way to fit into office culture and meet perceived workplace norms.
‘Additionally, Gen Z is highly adept at blending work and personal tech, meaning they may switch between tasks more fluidly, often misinterpreted as disengagement when, in reality, they may simply work differently from previous generations.’
Is it only Gen Z using ‘taskmasking,’ or are other employees doing it too?
It’s not only the younger generations using ‘taskmasking’ in the world of work.
As Beth notes, it’s much broader than that, and employees across various generations might ‘perform’ productivity for a variety of reasons, whether to ‘appease demanding bosses, navigate unclear expectations, or compensate for fluctuating energy levels.’
‘“Presenteeism”, where people stay visibly ‘on’ despite not being productive, has existed for years, even before remote work blurred the lines between time spent and actual output,’ Beth reminds us.
Why are employees ‘taskmasking’?
So, at its core, ‘taskmasking’ is really more of a way of working around older, perhaps ‘outdated’ measures of productivity rather than ‘pretending’ to work.
‘Many companies still equate being present and looking busy with being productive. This is not the case. Companies need to start shifting towards a results-driven culture where effective and efficient work is valued, rather than the appearance of busyness or glorifying stress,’ Beth adds.
For employees returning to the office, ‘taskmasking’ might arise as a result of unclear expectations, and what ‘good work’ looks like in the office compared to remote working.
A fear of judgment can also come into it, and as Beth notes, employees might ‘worry their career trajectory will be penalised if they’re not “seen” as being busy all the time.’
Likewise, rigid structures can also come into it – as the 9-5 working patterns ‘may not suit everyone’s working styles nor peak productivity.’
‘Humans are wired to seek social approval and want to be “part of the pack”; it’s safer. This extends to the workplace, where looking busy can easily be equated to better career prospects and job security,’ Beth shares.
‘The cost of “busyness glorification” is a higher risk of chronic stress, lower quality work and burnout. “Taskmasking” is often a symptom of workplaces that value appearance over real efficiency.’
And so, instead of overly demonising those who appear to be practising ‘taskmasking,’ Beth instead urges companies to consider if they’re measuring productivity effectively, if their employees have clarity on expectations and priorities, and if they’re fostering a culture where ‘deep work’ is valued over ‘looking busy.’
‘The real opportunity here isn’t about trying to “catch out” “taskmasking,”’ Beth concludes.
‘It’s to redefine productivity so that employees of any generation can work smarter and more effectively.’
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