Busyness. Weâve all seen it. The colleague who seems to always be typing furiously, clutching a folder as if it holds the secrets to national security, or walking briskly to nowhere in particular. In UK offices, where appearing busy can sometimes seem more important than actually being busy, a curious culture has quietly taken root: the subtle, occasionally cheeky art of looking like youâre hard at work.
But why do we do it? What are the classic moves? And what does it say about the modern workplace? Letâs take a peek behind the spreadsheets.
Why Does Everyone Seem So Busy?
In the UK, âbusynessâ has become more than a state of being – itâs a badge of honour. Long hours, packed calendars, and overflowing inboxes are worn like trophies. Even outside of work, people compete over how hectic their lives are. Ask someone how theyâre doing, and youâll often get: âBusy, mate. You?â
There are a few reasons for this:
- Work culture still rewards visibility over efficiency. Many UK workplaces value people who appear flat out, regardless of whether the output matches the effort.
- Fear of looking idle. If youâre sat quietly thinking or simply caught without your screen open, it can look like youâre slacking – even if you’re solving a problem in your head.
- Status symbol: Being busy suggests youâre in demand, important, and contributing.
- Tech-fuelled pressure: Thanks to smartphones and hybrid working, itâs harder than ever to draw a line between âonâ and âoffâ. The pressure to always look engaged has only intensified.
Enter: the art of looking busy.
Classic Ways UK Office Workers Appear to Be Working
Letâs be honest â youâve probably used one or two of these yourself. Here are the most common office tactics for keeping up appearances when youâre not quite ready to tackle the actual workload.
1. The Email Shuffle
Staring intently at your inbox, occasionally clicking between folders. Maybe even opening an old email and sighing at it. Bonus points for typing a reply, then deleting it and starting again. It looks like deep work. Itâs mostly admin theatre.
2. The Strategic Walkabout
Grabbing a folder or notebook and walking briskly around the office, maybe stopping by someoneâs desk to âcheck inâ. To the untrained eye, this is a meeting in motion. In reality, itâs just a quick escape from the desk â possibly towards the biscuit tin.
3. The Calendar Camouflage
Blocking out your calendar with ambiguous titles like âClient Reviewâ, âAdmin Timeâ, or âStrategy Sessionâ. These mysterious blocks make you look unavailable, which can help you dodge spontaneous meetings or new tasks.
4. The Desk Prop Method
Keeping a notepad open with a few half-written bullet points. Add a highlighter or Post-it note for extra effect. From across the room, it screams âIâm in the zone.â Up close, itâs yesterdayâs shopping list.
5. Spreadsheet Gazing
Nothing looks more professional than a spreadsheet full of numbers. Whether youâre budgeting or just colour-coding cells, it gives the illusion of data-driven decision-making. Even if youâre actually reorganising your fantasy football stats.
6. The ‘Alt-Tab’ Reflex
Quickly switching screens from social media to a work doc as soon as footsteps approach. A time-honoured tradition in open-plan offices.
7. The Online, But Invisible Move
On Teams or Slack, youâre always marked as “Available” â even if youâre watching Netflix with your laptop open. You might even send a couple of 7:59 a.m. or 6:04 p.m. messages to show dedication. Crafty.
What Does This Say About the Modern UK Workplace?
At first glance, itâs funny. But underneath the chuckles lies something more serious.
This performative busyness often stems from a culture of presenteeism, where showing up and looking busy is valued more than what you actually achieve. Itâs particularly pronounced in industries where output isnât always easy to measure â creative roles, admin-heavy jobs, or client-facing positions.
For many, this behaviour is also a coping mechanism. If youâre overwhelmed, unsure where to start, or just exhausted, looking busy can buy you breathing space without having to explain yourself.
And letâs not ignore the pressures of hybrid working. When you’re not in the office full-time, people often feel they need to âproveâ theyâre working â hence the increase in digital performance: visible statuses, constant online presence, and âjust checking inâ emails at all hours.
The Impact: When Busyness Becomes a Problem
On one hand, looking busy might help you avoid unwanted interruptions or delay being given more to do. But over time, it can:
- Fuel burnout, as people feel pressure to keep up appearances rather than rest
- Create mistrust, especially in teams where effort is mistaken for output
- Distract from real productivity, as more time goes into performing work than doing it
- Waste talent, with energy spent masking inactivity instead of tackling root causes like unclear goals, poor workload management, or lack of motivation
Itâs a little ironic â people who seem the busiest arenât always the most productive, and those working most effectively may not always look like theyâre grinding.
How to Ditch the Busyness Pretence and Focus on Real Work
If youâve found yourself slipping into performative busyness, youâre not alone. But there are better ways to protect your time and energy:
- Communicate your workload openly with managers or colleagues. You shouldnât need to âact busyâ to be left alone to focus.
- Prioritise deep work â block out time for focused tasks and give yourself permission to ignore distractions.
- Challenge the culture â if your team values presence over results, raise the issue. Share articles. Talk about actual output.
- Take breaks without guilt â being productive doesnât mean being glued to your desk.
- Redefine success â less about appearances, more about meaningful progress.
Final Thought: Everyoneâs Faking It⌠Sometimes
Letâs be real â weâve all had slow days, or moments where we just canât face the inbox. And yes, sometimes a strategic trip to the printer is the mental reset you need. Thatâs human.
But if looking busy becomes the norm rather than the exception, it might be time to rethink how your workplace defines productivity â and whether that âurgent admin timeâ in your diary could be better spent actually getting something done… or having a real lunch break.
So next time you see someone clutching a highlighter and staring meaningfully at their monitor, give them a nod. They’re playing the game. Just make sure itâs not the only game in town.
