The modern workplace has evolved into a space where employees appear busy long before they can deliver meaningful work. Screens stay active, calendars remain blocked, and green status lights stay on — all signalling activity, even when little real work happens.

A new national Ghostworking Report by Resume Now, based on responses from 1,127 American workers, reveals how widespread this behaviour has become. The findings highlight a growing disconnect between employee expectations and organisational structures.

Ghostworking becomes a survival strategy

The report’s most striking insight: 58% of employees regularly pretend to work, while another 34% do so occasionally. Only 12% claim they never fake productivity.

The tactics range from subtle to theatrical:

  • 23% walk around carrying notebooks to look busy
  • 22% type randomly to mimic focus
  • 15% pretend to take phone calls
  • 15% keep spreadsheets open while browsing unrelated sites
  • 12% schedule fake meetings to avoid real tasks

Ghostworking, the report suggests, is less about deception and more about surviving unclear expectations and performance pressures.

Job-hunting during work hours becomes the norm

The survey reveals another startling trend: 92% of workers have searched for jobs during work hours.
Of these, 55% do so regularly and 37% occasionally.

Common on-the-clock job-hunting behaviours include:

  • Editing resumes at work (24%)
  • Applying for jobs on company devices (23%)
  • Taking recruiter calls during office hours (20%)
  • Stepping out secretly for interviews (19%)

Together, the trends show a workforce mentally preparing for exit even as they maintain the appearance of engagement.

Remote work shifts how time is wasted

Where people work shapes how much time they waste. According to the report:

  • 47% waste more time working from home
  • 37% waste more in the office
  • 16% waste the same amount in both settings

Remote workers cite disruptions such as background noise (40%), internet issues (35%), family interruptions (35%) and domestic emergencies (33%).
Office distractions include slow tech (16%), long coffee breaks (15%), workplace chit-chat (14%) and corporate socialising (15%).

Would monitoring screens improve productivity? Workers are split

Despite widespread ghostworking, 69% of workers believe employer monitoring would improve their productivity.
But:

  • 19% say it wouldn’t matter
  • 10% say they would simply find new ways to take breaks
  • 3% say monitoring doesn’t affect them because they already stay focused

The findings suggest surveillance may enforce compliance but cannot solve deeper cultural flaws.

A workforce built on optics, not output

The Ghostworking Report delivers a clear message: today’s workplace rewards appearance more than performance. Ghostworking is not merely a bad habit — it is a coping mechanism shaped by unclear goals, ineffective communication and cultures that prioritise visibility over value.

Until organisations address structural pressures and rebuild trust, the gap between looking busy and being productive will only widen.