USA 
United Kingdom
Employers reinstating in-office mandates may be facing a new form of quiet resistance from younger staff.
While the “loud quitting” trend has receded in a tougher hiring environment, Gen Z workers are reportedly adopting a strategy that simulates engagement without meaningful output.
Known as “task masking,” it involves feigning productivity through superficial activity. The phenomenon appears to be gaining traction in corporate environments where an office presence is prioritized over tangible results.
Managers have observed staff prolonging basic tasks or scheduling non-essential meetings as a means to appear constantly occupied. Despite signs of disengagement, the behavior is difficult to challenge under attendance-first policies.
Visibility pressure driving minimal effort
According to career.io, which coined the term, task masking has accelerated in tandem with enforced office returns. Speaking to Fortune, it said: “Companies that demand their employees return to the office are sending a message that presence equals productivity,” said resident career coach Amanda Augustine.
She added that many early-career professionals now believe visibility at work does not translate to real value or impact. “This (trend) reflects young professionals’ beliefs that time and ‘face time’ at work isn’t equal to their outcome and impact.”
The perception is being reinforced by outdated managerial expectations. One HR leader reported increased downloads of mouse-jiggling software, designed to mimic digital activity, while others have noted a rise in excessive multitasking rituals such as dramatic typing and brisk hallway pacing with laptops.
According to Redefining Communications CEO Jenni Field, the issue is not exclusive to in-person settings. “Disengagement and inefficiency can happen anywhere, whether in an office or working remotely,” she said.
Field pointed to weak communication and managerial overreach as core contributors. “If someone is not delivering results, the issue is not where they are working but how they are being managed.”
Performative work linked to burnout
Workplace consultants warn that task masking may reflect deeper problems. Victoria McLean, CEO of City CV, sees the pattern as an alarm bell. “If employees feel the need to task mask, the question isn’t ‘Why aren’t they working harder?’ It’s ‘Why don’t they feel their real work is valued?’”
Augustine referenced data showing that 36% of employees admitted to faking productivity, primarily to safeguard work-life balance. Nearly 70% said it had no negative effect on performance, while half considered themselves above-average performers.
She believes the trend may be less about avoidance and more about poor task allocation. “This indicates that the key reasons for ‘task masking’ may not be due to a refusal to do work, but rather from feelings of burn-out from being in the office or not having enough work to fill their hours in the office.”
Business mentor Lee Broders advises self-reflection instead of theatrical output. “If you find that you are task masking, then stop and think, why is that? Are you bored, uninterested or upset with the current policies?”
McLean urged employees to avoid investing in appearance over output. “Your career isn’t built on desk hours, it’s built on results, relationships, and reputation.”
