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]