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.

I'd go onto the Microsoft website and do a load of powerbi training. Or look up how to use power automate and see if I could automate any more of my job.

I have the type of job where I set things up to run in a transport yard, then just be available to fix issues as they come up. Lots of down time if I've set things up properly! Meanwhile, organize emails and desktop files. An extra slow day you might find me dusting behind the computer.

Internet browsing... here I am on mumsnet at work. I will also dig into wikipedia regarding some obscure topic and learn interesting facts. I'm careful about what sites I log onto during work, ones that are mostly text and not controversial, so no shopping for bras on line!

Empty my file box and shred everything out of date.

Vacuum.

Dust.

Delete all my emails that are dealt with and unneeded.

Organise promo labels to reduce swearing and stabby rage when I have to change a promo alone in half an hour and can't find anything.

Hide my managers phone charger and coffee sachets under the pile of paperwork I need him to deal with.

It is something similar to a community centre caretaker. I open up buildings, set up equipment, tables and chairs etc and then clean up afterwards. I make sure the site is secure and also deal with external contractors. I work Saturdays and Sundays so there aren't a huge queue of people wanting the job instead tbh!

It’s really interesting getting a glimpse into others’ work.

I really don’t have any emails to deal with, I must get about 3 a week. There are no manuals or policies or CPD to read or write.

I am a way off retirement really, but I just meant i was not looking for any kind of advancement.

I am actually feeling pretty positive about cleaning and tidying listening to music.

If you can afford it, research and book a holiday for next year?

It's so strange to read threads like this - my work is literally never ending 😄.

And if my team did find the end of the work, we'd just be asked to help another team.

There must be something you can do. Be proactive.

I remember going into the IT office at an old workplace and they were joking about how Janice in accounts was looking at wedding dresses and Bob in marketing was doing his Tesco shop online etc etc. Those guys can see which websites you're logged into (even in incognito mode) so just a word of warning for other posters!

Do some training, e.g. in IT skills. Start or continue learning a language on Duolingo. Brush up on Maths. Start writing the great novel with a view to becoming the next best-seller.

I'd watch some tv on my iPad/phone, listen to some podcasts, read, play online scrabble.

Someone coming in isn't going to be expecting you to be sat on high alert staring at the door, so as long as you press pause when someone arrives surely you'll be fine?

I could spend hours on Google Maps researching areas near and far, looking up restaurants and attractions and reading reviews and menus.

Fantasy house hunting on Right move

Fantasy holiday shopping on Booking.com

Going down a weird Wikipedia rabbit hole

Catching up on the news

Reading film review on IMDB

Delete old files and photos on my phone to free up memory

Mumsnet binge

I like some of the Guardian articles that have interesting reader comments

Do an online course

Learn a language

Colouring book while listening to an audio book

Organise my life- lists, budgets, shopping, dealing with appointments & my calender

Lurk in the kitchen and chat to anyone who's happy to chat.

Read a book- I love the suggestions pp have said to put it as a pdf on screen

I could easily fill 7 empty hours haha

Free courses on Udemy and open university

I’m heading in. Will report back.

I spent about 20 minutes chatting to the receptionist and then the last hour clearing out and cleaning my desk, and writing Christmas lists (sorry, not a fan of spreadsheets). Heating is on full and I’m feeling quite cosy and relaxed.
Five and a half hours to go.

It can happen.

I used to work in a cardiology department (actually more than one) and sunny days people would forget to turn up.

Snowy days were similar, but people would call up to cancel.

There was always something to do even if it was only cleaning but

I would’ve definitely taken knitting but positioned a computer screen/files in front of me so that I could quickly hide it away, maybe have a large handbag close to throw it in 😆

Have a lovely lunch, maybe a walk and do a word search.

I have a number match game on my phone as some afternoons can be quiet at my work place.

I had a job like this once, during my gap year. I used to be constantly asking for work! I couldn't understand how they thought it was a full time job... Till I trained up my successor.

I hated having nothing to do!

I sat on my phone for the rest of the morning and offered to do the sandwich run at lunch time, walking the long way round.
Im struggling now though, sleepy and bored and two hours to go ☹️.

I work in HR and had this a bit years ago when I worked in an office 5 days a week, I used to go on the MSE forum and help people with their employment questions, I really enjoyed it and also felt like it was CPD so I was still technically working 😂

I love that.

What ‘job’ do you do where you have nothing to do?! Working in a school this in incomprehensible to me!?!

I used to work in retail, went from a underwear shop, that had queues outside when in sale time, and mostly busy when not , when made redundant, new job was a high end retail were you might if lucky get 3 customers on sunday, I hated it.

Wow, what do you do? Never had a job with nothing to do, but if I did I guess I would just enjoy it! 😉