Over a third of Irish employees admit to faking activity at work, driven by desire for a better work-life balance
- New Workhuman ‘Human Workplace Index’ survey reveals that 42% are scrolling through social media and 41% handling personal errands during work hours.
- Additionally, managers play a crucial role in either exacerbating or alleviating the issue of faking activity, with nearly half of the employees believe that their manager's involvement helps them perform their jobs better.
Dublin, 09 September 2024 - Workhuman®, the Irish tech unicorn revolutionizing the way employees celebrate, connect with, and appreciate each other in the workplace, today announces new findings from its Human Workplace Index, which found that 36% of Irish employees admit faking activity at work, with 37% of these individuals citing the pursuit of a better work-life balance as a key motivation for this behaviour. The survey also highlights how employees spend their time when pretending to be busy, with 42% scrolling through social media and 41% handling personal errands during work hours.
The Human Workplace Index surveyed 1,000 full-time employees in Ireland and was commissioned by Workhuman and conducted by Pollfish to gain insights into employee engagement and productivity.
The survey further uncovers a correlation between employee engagement and the likelihood of faking activity at work. According to the findings, employees who are less engaged are more prone to pretend they are working. Specifically, 54% of respondents admitted that when they aren’t feeling engaged, they do the bare minimum to get through the day, while 17% confessed to faking activity during these periods of low engagement.
Additionally, the data shows that managers play a crucial role in either exacerbating or alleviating the issue of faking activity. 71.92% of managers believe it is important to know the exact hours their direct reports work. This emphasis on monitoring could unintentionally lead to more faking activity, as employees may feel pressured to appear busy. On the other hand, supportive management practices can have a positive impact. Nearly half of the employees (46%) believe that their manager's involvement helps them perform their jobs better, while 32% say that their manager helps remove roadblocks, which can potentially increase employees’ productivity.
Niamh Graham, Senior Vice President of Global Human Experience, Workhuman, said: “The reality is that most Irish employees aren’t faking activity, but many feel compelled to do so. Our research findings highlight deeper issues around workplace expectations, and the illusion of being ‘always on’, with many employees feeling they need to fake activity to appear busy, rather than being genuinely productive. To address this, companies should focus on building a high-trust culture where employees are recognized for their results rather than mere presence. High-trust, collaborative working environments, combined with meaningful recognition, can drive greater engagement, higher productivity, and a stronger sense of belonging and purpose. This approach not only reduces the need to fake activity but fosters a more motivated and productive workforce overall.”