Signs You’re “Task Masking”—Gen Z Office Survival Strategy or Career Suicide?

As more employees are called back into the office, a new workplace trend is emerging, especially among Gen Z: task masking. This growing phenomenon involves looking busy while doing little meaningful work. Think: typing furiously with no deadline, fake meetings, or walking around with a laptop just to be seen.

Gen Z professionals are also creating countless videos on TikTok and Instagram showcasing their task-masking techniques.

Whether it’s done as a rebellion against return-to-office (RTO) mandates or a response to growing workplace anxieties, task masking is a serious professional risk. And experts say the rise of task masking reveals deeper problems in how companies define success and how employees engage with their work.

Here’s what task masking is, why it happens, and how to break the cycle before it tanks your career.

What Is Task Masking and Why Are People Doing It?

According to Jeffrey Ditzell, DO, a private practice psychiatrist at Dr. Ditzell Psychiatry, task masking occurs when someone looks very busy but isn’t doing meaningful work.  

“It’s a common trap where the appearance of effort is confused with genuine value,” he said.

Some instances of task masking are overt and intentional: typing noisily, walking around the office with a laptop, blocking out time for fake meetings or “urgent” errands, and responding to emails at all hours to appear like you’re working around the clock.

Mason Farmani, an intuitive personal and corporate coach, noted that task masking can also manifest as frequent “context switching”—jumping between tasks without actually completing them—and an overemphasis on low-stakes work.

The underlying behavior is nothing new: 1 in 3 employees admit to feigning productivity in the office. However, task masking has largely risen amidst the shifts in post-pandemic workplace culture. 

Research from FlexJobs shows that today’s workers increasingly value remote work opportunities, strong work-life boundaries, and flexible schedules, a trend observed across all generations, especially among Gen Z. These priorities can easily be overlooked in the push for in-office work, particularly in companies that focus on visibility and hours worked over outcomes.

Task masking may also happen in “polygamous working” situations, where an employee holds multiple full-time positions without disclosing the arrangements to their employers. With the prevalence of work-from-home, remote, and hybrid jobs, it has become easier for these employees to do the bare minimum to appear engaged at each of their jobs.

Task masking isn’t always driven by the desire to “game the system,” though. In fact, in Ditzell’s experience, fear and burnout are far more likely culprits.

“It’s often driven by fear … of failing, making mistakes, being judged by peers or supervisors, [or] feeling like [a] fraud,” he explained. “Instead of tackling challenging, high-impact work, they cling to low-stakes tasks because they feel safe and provide a sense of superficial accomplishment.”

In cases of burnout, task masking can act as “a last-ditch effort to stay afloat,” Ditzell added.

Signs You’re Task Masking (and the Potential Consequences)

Unsure if you’re inadvertently task masking? Here are a few common signs to look out for:

• You’re constantly “busy” but can’t name recent wins. “People may feel busy all day but still end up wondering what they actually accomplished. That’s usually a red flag,” said Farmani.
• You dread check-ins because there’s nothing to show. According to Brandon Dawson, co-founder, CEO, and managing partner at Cardone Ventures, repeatedly missing measurable goals and avoiding conversations around accountability might signal productivity issues associated with task masking.
• You plan your day around being seen, not delivering results. You may feel more pressure to look engaged in work than to genuinely be engaged, focusing on “hitting your hours” or staying visible to your manager and your team.
• You feel anxious and exhausted at work. “Imagine running on a treadmill: You expend huge effort, feel exhausted, but don’t actually move forward,” explained Ditzell. “This … creates relentless stress and anxiety, driven by the pressure to look busy and the fear of being ‘found out.’”

Why It’s Risky—Even If It’s “Working”

• Managers eventually notice a lack of results. Whether it’s missed deadlines, poor work quality, or lower output than expected, the (lack of) results of task masking will eventually catch up to you.
• You may get passed over for promotions or stretch assignments. Even if you’re delivering adequate results within the deadline, “adequate” is rarely associated with impact. “[People] become seen as dependable but not necessarily strategic or high-performing,” said Farmani.
• It erodes trust and morale. When task masking is brought to light, managers lose trust that you can do your job without consistent oversight and check-ins. As Dawson notes, it can also damage team morale: “High performers feel frustrated when low output is tolerated,” he said.
• It can lead to disengagement and burnout. Over time, the chronic stress associated with task masking can lead to emotional burnout, brain fog, and even depressive symptoms. “Without meaningful progress, motivation dries up,” Ditzell said. “This cycle erodes your self-worth as well; when your daily work doesn’t reflect your true potential, confidence and fulfillment take a nosedive.”

Is Task Masking a Leadership Failure, Too?

Though task masking may seem like a problem at the individual level, it can also signal a deeper issue with leadership.

When managers equate desk time with value, employees may feel more pressure to “perform” productivity. This can be especially punishing for efficient workers who complete their work quickly but are expected to look productive throughout the workday. 

Another common leadership issue correlated with task masking is a lack of clarity regarding goals, expectations, and even the value of their work.

“If multiple people are task masking, it’s not a people problem; it’s a systems problem,” said Dawson. “You need clear organizational alignment: defined roles, outcomes, and accountability loops. Without those, even good people can fail.”

For leaders facing a broader task-masking issue, the first step is reframing success around output, not activity. The next step is to convey this to the team, equipping them with the necessary tools to succeed. According to Dawson, these may include:

• Clarifying outcomes with well-structured organizational and accountability charts.
• Implementing employee scorecards and weekly alignment meetings, anchoring feedback around goals and KPIs.
• Providing training on time blocking and outcome-based planning.
• Routinely inspecting processes to find (and resolve) any friction points or inefficiencies.

When approaching conversations about task masking, Dawson recommends making the process collaborative rather than confrontational.

“People want to win. If someone is task masking, they’re probably overwhelmed or unsure how to succeed,” he said. “Your job as a leader is to coach performance, not police tasks.”

How to Stay Visible at Work Without Faking Productivity

If you feel stuck in a performative loop at work, there’s good news: With the right mindset and strategies, it’s possible to break out of it. These tips can help you stay visible at work without relying on task masking:

Track How You’re Spending Your Time

First, set aside a few days to meticulously track how you spend your time.

“Don’t just note what you’re doing, but critically, whether those tasks are tied to meaningful outcomes,” Ditzell said. “At the end of the day, consciously ask yourself … ‘What single thing did I do that genuinely moved the needle forward?’”

Once you’ve identified where your time goes, dive deeper into the “why” — whether it’s burnout, task overwhelm, or a desire for external approval. Once you’re conscious of your underlying triggers, you’ll be better equipped to make a lasting change, said Ditzell.

Set Outcome-based Goals and Prioritize High-impact Tasks

When setting weekly goals, Farmani recommends focusing on specific outcomes rather than broader activities.

“Replace ‘work on project’ with ‘submit draft’ or ‘finish client proposal,’” Farmani advised. “The clearer and more tangible the goal, the easier it is to hold yourself accountable.”

When setting goals, Ditzell advocates for ruthless prioritization: tackling your highest-impact tasks early in the day and scheduling dedicated blocks of deep work to complete them. This prioritization, he added, may also require saying “no” to requests that don’t align with your key priorities.

Seek Out Feedback Over Flattery

While you may perceive your work as adding value, others may not feel the same. If you’re unsure of how to best contribute or how impact is being measured, have an open conversation with your manager.

“Actively ask for real, constructive input on your outcomes and contributions, rather than just praise for your performative effort,” said Ditzell. “This helps you clarify what truly matters and build genuine confidence.”

The Bottom Line

While task masking may feel harmless in the moment, it’s a short-term fix with long-term consequences. Whether you’re trying to survive RTO mandates, managing burnout, or simply trying to fit in with the culture, remember: Your work should motivate you to put forth your best effort and take on new challenges. 

“If your work is not inspiring you to be efficient and productive,” said Farmani, “consider changing your job before you are terminated.”