Metro: Gen Z are ‘taskmasking’ in the office — but are they really pretending to work?

Taskmasking is being labelled as a Gen Z workplace trend, but let’s be honest—it is nothing new. Employees have been finding ways to appear busy for years, often because office culture rewards presence over real productivity.

Rather than asking why employees are taskmasking, the better question is:
❓ Are businesses setting clear expectations for performance?
❓ Do employees feel psychologically safe to take breaks or work differently?
❓ Why is busyness still mistaken for impact?

This is not about one generation—it is about outdated workplace metrics that encourage looking busy instead of working smart.

I covered this in my latest piece for Metro—read it here.

💬 What do you think? Is taskmasking a problem or a symptom of something bigger?

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