Productivity theater

Productivity theater is a form of impression management where an employee acts productively in the workplace, typically by appearing busy or unavailable, without actually being productive. ^{[1] [2]}

Following the rise of remote work after COVID-19, productivity theater became a large concern with remote employees who lacked onsite supervision. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

History

The term can be linked to other terms such as "performative work". ^[7] The prevalence of this behavior can be traced back to habits such as presenteeism ^[8] , and it is believed to be on the rise in many regions of the world, such as Europe and Asia. ^{[9] [10]}

Mouse shuffle

The "mouse shuffle" refers to someone continuously moving their computer mouse around to keep their screen active, giving them the appearance of being at work. ^[11] The mouse can either be physically shuffled by a person or mechanically by a mouse jiggler. The mouse shuffle is useful in workplaces where employees' computer screens are visible to others, like in open-office layouts.

Employees where mouse shuffling is prevalent have increased stress and reduced job satisfaction. ^[12]

References

1. Mensik, Hailey (26 April 2023). "WTF is productivity theater?". WorkLife. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
2. Wong, Ryan (April 21, 2023). "'Productivity theater' is officially out of control at work" . Retrieved 19 August 2024.
3. Robinson, Bryan. "Employees Using 'Productivity Theater' To Protect Against Surveillance, Study Finds". Forbes. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
4. Stillman, Jessica (Aug 22, 2022). "Remote Workers Are Wasting More Than an Hour a Day on Productivity Theater, New Report FindsDigital presenteeism is sapping the productivity of remote workers, a new report finds, and bosses are to blame". Inc. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
5. Berger, Chloe (May 3, 2023). "Workers are adopting 'productivity theater' to impress their bosses". Fortune. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
6. Bhaimiya, Sawdah (May 3, 2023). "Workers say they're engaging in 'productivity theater' for over 10 hours a week to appear busy, a survey shows". Business Insider. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
7. "The rise of performative work". The Economist. ISSN   0013-0613 . Retrieved 2025-08-05.
8. "Client Challenge". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
9. "'Productivity theatre' is draining your energy – here's how to beat it". www.stylist.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
10. Tong, Goh Chiew (2023-08-14). "Employees in Asia are spending the most time looking busy at work, says Slack report". CNBC. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
11. Robinson, Bryan. "The 'Mouse Shuffle,' A 2024 Workplace Trend, Has Employers Scratching Their Heads". Forbes. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
12. "'Mouse shuffle': Worrying new trend emerging among remote workers". August 9, 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.