What Is 'Task Masking'? Young Workers Retaliate Against Return-to-Office Mandates With a Viral Strategy. Many professionals value the flexibility of remote work — and they're not reacting well to forced in-office returns.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- Sixty percent of exclusively remote employees say they are extremely likely to search for employment elsewhere if they are not allowed remote flexibility, per Gallup.
- Reluctant professionals who must work hybrid or in-person schedules are getting creative to showcase their productivity.
Six in 10 exclusively remote employees say they are extremely likely to search for employment elsewhere if they are not allowed remote flexibility, according to research from Gallup.
The preference for remote work hasn't stopped some of the U.S.'s largest employers, including Amazon and JPMorgan, from implementing return-to-office mandates — even in the face of parking shortages and petitions.
Related: What Is a 'Lazy Girl Job'? New TikTok Trend Empowers Women to Work However They Want
Now, there's another unintended consequence: the viral TikTok trend where young people perform in-office productivity without increasing their output at all, dubbed "task masking" by career-services platform career.io.
"Task masking" activities can include typing loudly and walking quickly — anything that gives the illusion of putting 100% effort behind your in-office workday.
One TikTok user suggests people who want to appear productive at their office job should download desktop versions of social media apps onto their computers, type occasionally and make frustrated noises every 10-15 minutes.
@emmaflicc_ @gaillthesnaill here's some top tips to keep busy at work #work #officelife #corporate #business #whatsapp ♬ Storytelling - Adriel
Another TikTok creator recommends making "extraordinarily serious facial expressions," flipping through a notebook from beginning to end and calling a friend or partner "while using business hand gestures."
@wearedaythree Look busy is always cool #wearedaythree #officepov #workpov #actbusy #fypp ♬ som original - ????????
"Companies that demand their employees return to the office are sending a message that presence equals productivity; however, the latest TikTok trend indicates this is not the case," Amanda Augustine, resident career expert for career.io, says. "'Task masking' reflects young professionals' beliefs that time and 'face time' at work isn't equal to their outcome and impact."
