As more companies mandate a return to the office, young workers learn to game the system to take back controlAs employers crack down on hybrid work, insisting that the US corporate class head back to the office, gen Z reckons with a dilemma. How do you appear to look busy enough to appease an ever-present boss?Thirty years ago, Seinfeld’s George Costanza had a theory: “Always look annoyed.” That way, “people think that you’re busy.” Today, performative productivity goes by a new name. Continue reading...
Gen Z is using "taskmasking," or performative productivity, to appear busy at the office as more companies mandate a return to in-person work. This includes actions like typing loudly, carrying a laptop purposefully, and wearing AirPods constantly. Experts see it as a symptom of broader issues with return-to-office mandates and a way for workers to exert control.
