43% of U.S. workers utilize ‘productivity theater,’ says Visier
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — Around 43% of workers in the United States (U.S.) are engaged in “productivity theater” to appear busy and boost their visibility at work.
According to a new survey by workforce analytics company Visier, workers do performative work, such as attending unnecessary meetings or spending excessive time on administrative tasks, to gain recognition from employers amid layoffs and job security concerns.
The survey also revealed that in an average workweek, nearly half of an organization spends 1.25 days on performative tasks rather than meaningful work.
Visier said that one of the top motivators for this phenomenon is the desire to appear more valuable to the business and managers — regardless of whether the work is actually useful.
Fear of job security is another factor contributing to the phenomenon.
The rise of remote and hybrid work also played a part in concerns over job security and “proximity bias.” Employees said that they fear being overlooked for career progression opportunities because their managers cannot see what they are doing during a workday.
