What would you do at work if you had nothing to do?

[DancingTurtle]

This is me tomorrow, 9 'til 4. I have access to an office where I can be on my own and would have about 2 seconds warning of someone coming in.

Can you learn something new, OP?

If I was in an office by myself for a day, and genuinely had to be present but provide no other value to the firm, I'd go on Cousera or similar and pick a topic I was interested in for a short course.

Either that, or play around with my friend ChatGPT all day (probably they, to be honest!!!)

I used to have a job where I often had chunks of time with very little to do.

That's when I discovered internet forums!

With genuinely nothing to do...

Christmas planning/online shopping

I'd probably take a tablet and watch something on there, read for a bit.

If I wanted to do something more work related, I'd look at You Tube videos of Excel, Word, whatever I need for my job.

For this reason I have spreadsheet-ified much of my organisation for life, so I can be active on my laptop even if I have no work.

I have a massive Christmas spreadsheet, household organisation spreadsheet, meal planning, etc, you get the picture. Is there anything you can do like that? You say you're gaining weight, can you start an excel weight loss/fitness tracker? They have some amazing templates!

If you were actually asking me, I love audio so I would bring my headphones with my phone and have a list of audio books I wanted to get through, with some podcasts and music lined up for breaks. That way you can keep your PC set on some "work" and there's nothing to be caught out over. Say you're doing data deletion to keep you in GDPR or something.

I'd find it hard to believe that anybody in a quiet and isolated office with a light workload day would be begrudge by a manager for having some headphones on while working.

If you're genuinely bored and want some work to do, you don't have to out yourself and say you absolutely fuck all to do, just say you have some additional capacity today as you will be finished your current tasks by x time, and see if you can be given something.

I've had a several jobs where most of the time, I had nothing to do. It honestly sucks. I seemed to be very good at ending up in these jobs in my youth though!

But - I would read Mumsnet, play online games (this was the best), write to friends/browse social media, do coursework. One job was in the countryside so I would take really long lunches and go for a ramble.

Why on earth do you have so little work? I think I would be looking for a new job as surely you won't be kept on at that rate.

I can't imagine having nothing to do at work. Is the company going under? Or are you quiet quitting?
Really, I feel like I haven't really had much work to do since my 20s. I like the first year of a new job, learning the ropes, figuring things out but then...

Blimey, if you can get away with doing so little and still be way ahead of your colleagues, they must be so far behind, they're stuck in the last century?

I think I probably am a bit more efficient with the technology. Mostly, they are young and don't have the experience I have to fall back on. I don't have the challenges with anxiety, OCD etc. that they have.

I can send you some of my work if you like? I can't imagine not having anything to do, can't believe that actually happens 😂

It's difficult to say without an idea of your job. However I would say if you were such a top performer your boss wouldn't care if you didn't go in the office this week.
So I'd be working (not as hard as I could) no next weeks work or helping team members

Nap

Clear out the thank you style emails

Go on mumsnet

To be honest, I am too anxious to ever end up without work - I am always worried about losing my job - so I think of new initiatives to work on, suggest new leads or ideas, train up, expand my role beyond the job description. This has earned me promotions

Christmas shopping / lists

Budget overhaul - research cheaper utility / insurance deals etc

Plan holidays

Read a book

Tidy up my emails/documents/folders.
Do some online training.

I am not high ranking enough to work from home really, and I don't want to push my luck in this regard.

Why don't you ask your boss for more work to do? Surely that's the first thing to do?

I'd make the most of sitting in front of a computer on black Friday and get all my Christmas shopping sorted. With a spreadsheet or two open to flip back to if needed.

I'd probably read a book under the desk or put it in a drawer which you can shut quickly 😂

Definitely listen to an audiobook or podcast on one earbud - not obvious and no one can hear it, you'll be able to hear other people come in with the clear ear.

I'd work on personal projects that could pass for work - paperwork/internet research/training/writing lists/planning/filing etc

(I'd be very careful at doing any of that on the work PC tho unless it seemed like actual work)

I'd probably organise the cupboards, water the plants and arrange the stationery too but that's just me 😂

Can you conduct a raid on the canteen, poke around in the store cupboards, sort out the kitchen? There must be something!!!!

What is your job?

In my job we occasionally have shifts, or parts of shifts, where there isn’t all that much to do. This happened on my night shift this week and I was given an extra 30 minutes on my break so I had a nap.

Otherwise we sit and chat, play on our phones etc. management know if doest’t happen often so let us relax when we do.

years ago I worked at a university and it was incredibly boring!

I'm not worried about losing my job. I do not want promotion or advancement (at my age I'm easing in to retirement and feel like I've been there, done that).

I am going to take my kindle (2 hours?) and I can definitely listen to music on my headphones whilst I spring clean my desk and filing cabinet (1 hour).

Why don't you ask your boss for more work to do? Surely that's the first thing to do?

I have already taken on a lot more than I was employed to do or that my colleagues do. He won't have any more for me to do.

The last time I was in that position, I used to play FreeCell for hours (before mobile phones and when emails were few and far between). Now I'd just read, play games on my phone and sort any personal admin.

I would reach out to my manager/team and tell them I have some free time to support them if needed…
^

🤣

Surely a good manager/team would know this already???

Book all of my recurring meetings for next year so I can always get a room (and annoy everyone else in the process!)
Read up on a couple of key topics I want to research for next year
Tackle my LinkedIn inbox
Book my 2025 holidays
That would probably take most of the day (most of that would be LinkedIn admin!)

I've had 2 whole days this week with nothing in the calendar. Lots of stuff popped up on the first day, but nothing on the second. So I logged on to Coursera and did a bit of an adhd course I've started.