Generation Z is apparently devising new ways to avoid the critical eye of management. Shuffling around paperwork, hurriedly moving around the office or wearing AirPods all day to pretend to be on phone calls, are tell-tale signs of ‘task masking’, according to the Daily Mail, which claims that young people are taking to TikTok to share inventive ways to appear busy at work.
But while the Mail has blamed zoomers for the phenomenon, task masking is not just a gen-Z problem. Performative productivity is nothing new. More than a third of UK workers, including 38% of C-suite leaders and 37% of managers, admitted to ‘fauxductivity’ (faking productivity) in a 2024 Workhuman survey. Plus, aside from a few TikTok videos, there is no evidence to suggest that gen Z are the only ones pretending to be busy at work.
Such behaviour is on the rise, however, as more companies enforce office returns. That’s according to Amanda Augustine, a coach at Career.io, a career-advice platform. “The task-masking trend has come as a reaction to return-to-office mandates,” she says. “This reflects young professionals’ belief that face time at work isn’t equal to their outcome and impact.”
Others have interpreted task masking as an attempt by staff to game the system or to regain control from bosses who have restricted workplace flexibility or autonomy.
What’s causing employees to task mask?
Although task masking is simply a new name for a common workplace behaviour, its surge in popularity will naturally worry HR leaders, many of whom are being pressured to improve organisational productivity.
But task masking could be a symptom of a deeper problem: chronically low employee engagement. Just one in 10 UK workers feels engaged at work, according to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report.
The task-masking trend has come as a reaction to return-to-office mandates
Guy Thornton, the founder of PracticeAptitudeTests.com, says task masking could also be a sign of burnout, with staff dodging tasks precisely because they feel overwhelmed.
He advises HR leaders to address any concerns calmly. “Ask if there are any obstacles or adjustments that could help workers manage their time. They may just need better support.”
So task masking is nothing new, but its present popularity may indicate fundamental workplace problems that HR teams should seek to address.
Generation Z is apparently devising new ways to avoid the critical eye of management. Shuffling around paperwork, hurriedly moving around the office or wearing AirPods all day to pretend to be on phone calls, are tell-tale signs of ‘task masking’, according to the Daily Mail, which claims that young people are taking to TikTok to share inventive ways to appear busy at work.
But while the Mail has blamed zoomers for the phenomenon, task masking is not just a gen-Z problem. Performative productivity is nothing new. More than a third of UK workers, including 38% of C-suite leaders and 37% of managers, admitted to 'fauxductivity' (faking productivity) in a 2024 Workhuman survey. Plus, aside from a few TikTok videos, there is no evidence to suggest that gen Z are the only ones pretending to be busy at work.
Such behaviour is on the rise, however, as more companies enforce office returns. That's according to Amanda Augustine, a coach at Career.io, a career-advice platform. “The task-masking trend has come as a reaction to return-to-office mandates,” she says. “This reflects young professionals’ belief that face time at work isn’t equal to their outcome and impact.”
