There are plenty of helpful hacks— like using a mouse jiggler or another tool to stay green on Microsoft Teams—workers on TikTok have shared regarding how remote workers can appear busy while not doing much work. But what happens when you’re actually hard at work but appear to be doing nothing?
TikTok user Gabrielle (@gabrielle_judge) who has 88,000 followers and shares work-related content, has a hack for that as well. “I do not mean to hurt your feelings with this,” she starts. “Your boss doesn’t know what you’re doing all day. Especially now that we’re all remote, he or she for sure does not know what you’re doing all day. And it’s fair, they have their own stuff to do.”
“Constantly remind everyone what you’re doing,” she says.
The content creator, in the caption, said this tip should “help you in your career in so many ways.” “Your achievements [and] efforts are way more visible internally. And it will be easier to not take on more work. This is how to look busy without doing a ton of work or getting a bunch of new work [without] a promotion,” she wrote.
@gabrielle_judge Your boss and everyone around you needs to constantly be updated on what you are doing at work. This will help you in your career in so many ways. Your achievements wnd efforts are way more visible internally. And it will be easier to not take on more work. This is how to look busy without doing a ton of work or getting a bunch of new work wirhout a promotion #4dayworkweek #resumetips #getaraise #toxicboss #quietquitting ♬ original sound – Gabrielle👸🏻
Gabrielle told the Daily Dot she worked in the tech industry for two years, and when the pandemic hit, she began working remotely.
“I always thought of creative ways to gain visibility on projects at work. My first tech job right out of college was quite demanding and so I learned quickly I needed to stay organized with my projects and their status to make a case for my current workload,” she said.
She said it was during this time that she noticed “how much upper management can be unaware of your day-to-day work,” which is why she started making managers aware of what she was up to.
Her video garnered over 143,000 views within 24 hours, and viewers shared how this method worked for them. Some had more success than others.
“I did this and my boss told me to leave him alone,” the top comment reads.
Gabrielle acknowledged how her method varies depending on the manager-employee relationship. She said those “relationships are [nuanced] and unique to every person and so I would not put a blanket statement on this strategy on it being 100% successful.”
She also plans to make a video on how to humbly tell one’s boss about the good work they are doing after a viewer requested it.
