Productivity theater explained

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] [7]}

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.^[8] 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.^[9]

Notes and References

1. News: Mensik . Hailey . WTF is productivity theater? . 19 August 2024 . WorkLife . 26 April 2023 . en.
2. News: Wong . Ryan . ‘Productivity theater’ is officially out of control at work. . 19 August 2024 . April 21, 2023.
3. News: Robinson . Bryan . Employees Using ‘Productivity Theater’ To Protect Against Surveillance, Study Finds . 19 August 2024 . Forbes . en.
4. News: Stillman . Jessica . 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. . 19 August 2024 . Inc . Aug 22, 2022.
5. News: Berger . Chloe . Workers are adopting 'productivity theater' to impress their bosses . 19 August 2024 . Fortune . May 3, 2023 . en.
6. News: Robinson . Bryan . Employees Using ‘Productivity Theater’ To Protect Against Surveillance, Study Finds . 19 August 2024 . Forbes . en.
7. News: Bhaimiya . Sawdah . Workers say they're engaging in 'productivity theater' for over 10 hours a week to appear busy, a survey shows . 19 August 2024 . Business Insider . May 3, 2023.
8. News: Robinson . Bryan . The ‘Mouse Shuffle,’ A 2024 Workplace Trend, Has Employers Scratching Their Heads . 19 August 2024 . Forbes . en.
9. News: ‘Mouse shuffle’: Worrying new trend emerging among remote workers . 19 August 2024 . August 9, 2024.