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.

Just been told my project won’t be starting on time. Gutted. I actually contemplated buying a bottle of vodka for my desk drawer.

No job opportunities on the horizon. Have spent the morning clearing out a stationery cupboard (I sharpened all of the pencils) and reading my book.

I had a quiet week the other week OP and I ended up sorting all of my personal finances out. I checked my pension statements, did some research on investments and moved some investment strategies around, made a budgeting spreadsheet etc.

Are there online forums for your niche area of knowledge? What about reading and/or contributing to those?

Yeah, and I used to be pretty active on them but I’m over it now. They rehash the same issues and solutions…

Still here, still job hunting. Initially I was only getting long distance, wfh vacancies and then realised I really didn’t want to return to that (I did it for ten years on the 2010s) so pulled out.

My work have decided to start doing annual Performance Reviews, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that unfolds. I haven’t seen either of my line managers for about three weeks now.

Good luck with vacancies. I have recently started a new leadership apprenticeship precisely for this reason, and my life is suddenly very full

Still stuck here. Finding the job market very, very slow.

I have had a change in office for some of the week and now have greater privacy on those days. I do crosswords online and I watch documentaries I download on to my phone. Wednesdays I “work from home” but don’t have any work to do so I am redecorating our living room and then I’ll move on to a garden project.

We had appraisals (delayed until January) and whilst I was as positive as possible I was also honest about how I was feeling (e.g. often isolated, ready for more responsibilities… nothing came of it).

I’ve done it! I’ve got a new job.

Last week I was on the office five days and did 6 hours actual work.

Well done OP!

Thank you. I’ve got 10 work days to go (including today) and ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do. I have broken cover, told them I’m all up to date and asked them what they’d like me to do. They only come back with things I’ve already done. They absolutely expect me in next week and the following Monday. I could cry.

It’s remarkable that the company/organisation have paid you a salary for hardly anything in return but, of course, this happens a lot ! I am in a similar situation where I know I won’t be busy next week despite just having a week off, however, I am (sort of) ok with it. My job may come to an end at Xmas (it’s working with a charity who rely on Government funding and we lurch from one six month contract to the next).

Wishing you the best! Well done for being proactive and getting another job - hope it all goes well.

I'm quite envious. In your shoes I'd be taking the opportunity to learn something new, e.g. a language or IT stuff I don't know, or doing my own work like selling all my surplus books and other stuff on Ebay, or taking on remote typing work, or writing the next literary phenomenon.

Just create a reason why you have to wfh. At least then you can get some housework done or prepare for new job?

I don't understand how you have nothing to do. Stuff in your calendar should only be a fraction of your job. Even if you really have completed everything and there's nothing you can do to prep for next week then ehat about training and development? Organising your SharePoint folders, typing up notes you haven't had time to do, doing some strategic thinking?

Thank you so much @CyclingAddict . I wish I’d been able to find something else much sooner.

The language learning and all the general self-improving stuff was easy at first, but as the loneliness and futility of the situation sets in, it gets harder and harder.

I just realised that I started this thread in 2024 and not the end of 2025 as I thought. That's pretty heart breaking.

Nine work days to go.

When I had this happen (hated it), I would literally just tell the manager and ask what is there I can do, maybe something that needed done for ages but no one got around to doing it. There would always be something I could be given, then I'd be happy and management would be happy too so a double win.

I also got caught out not realising it's an old thread, silly me!

Do you regret getting a new job?

@Oppositesituation my manager has absolutely no work for me to do.

Do you regret getting a new job? I haven't started it yet, but I already wish I'd done it far sooner. I got an unexpected pay rise in early 2025 and I think that kept me here even longer then there was the terrible job market.

Congratulations on the new role! Your current job sounds soul destroying. I’m in a quiet period at work and have done bits and bobs of training, reading etc related to my role but I find it a bit directionless; I prefer to learn on the job as it were, much easier with context to and a reason for what you’re learning. It’ll pick up in the coming weeks otherwise I’d be looking for a new job too.

Oh sorry, I'm being totally silly today and thought it's your new job that also has nothing to do.
So happy for you for getting a new job! I think you'll feel much more fulfilled.

Six. More. Days.

I've asked if I have to come in next week, and the woman who does payroll and HR decisions said she'd get back to me.