Say hello to a new buzzword that has entered the workplace chat.

Introducing: Task Masking — the art of looking productive without actually being productive (also called fake productivity or fauxductivity).

You’ve seen it.

Employees walking around clutching laptops like they’re life vests.
Employees typing like they’re trying to break the keyboard.
Making very important calls to... no one.
Buying a mouse mover pad at home to fake work while doing laundry;

Why Does Task Masking Happen?

Because we’re still stuck in a system built for the Industrial Revolution.
Back then, 8 hours in a factory = optimal output.

But in today’s knowledge economy, AI and automation have shifted the game. So sometimes, there’s literally nothing urgent to do. Especially in an office environment, employees feel the pressure to look busy or otherwise they risk being labeled as lazy.

Task masking isn’t just about boredom —it’s also becoming a form of silent protest against return-to-office mandates.

Employees are losing hours commuting, being pulled into forced social events, and rebuilding routines they never asked to change. In response, some are reclaiming that lost time by faking productivity while catching up on personal tasks—like online shopping or life admin.

It’s a quiet way of saying:

“If you're going to control where I work, I'm going to control how I work.”

3 Ways to Eliminate Task Masking from Your Company

Measure Output, Not Activity

Stop obsessing over hours worked and start tracking results.
A team member who crushes their goals in 25 hours delivers way more value than someone who “works” 50 and achieves nothing.

Ask yourself: "Are we measuring what really matters—or just what’s easy to see?"

Create Work Worth Doing

No one task masks when they’re energised by their work.
Ask yourself:

Does this task matter?
Does it play to their strengths?
Can they see the bigger picture?

Bored employees fake work.
Engaged employees create value.

Be the Example

If leadership is box-checking, micromanaging, or glorifying late nights, the team will copy-paste that behaviour.

Want real productivity? Show them what it looks like.
Take breaks. Focus on impact. Trust your team.

Final thoughts

It’s not about policing people—it’s about creating a workplace where impact is valued over appearances.
Recognise real contributions. Not presence. Not fake typing. Not performative hustle.

The businesses that win tomorrow?
They’re ditching the factory-era mindset and embracing flexibility, purpose, and results.

Have you ever faked productivity at work and if so, why did you do it? Boredom or a silent form of protest ?

Task Masking: Why People Fake Productivity at Work?

Say hello to a new buzzword that has entered the workplace chat. Introducing: Task Masking — the art

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