To do almost nothing at work

[TooInvested]

I finished uni a couple of years ago and am going back in September to do a further course relevant to the industry I want to work in. I have done an admin temp job for a year and a bit and just started a new one. In both, but especially the one I’ve just started, there seems to be almost nothing for me to do-the first role was office based so I helped other colleagues and managed to find just about enough stuff to do to fill the time, but I did spend quite a lot of time pretending to look busy. I told my boss regularly I could do with more work and he would give me a task that would take maybe 30 mins. I didn’t want to mention I wasn’t busy too much though so I didn’t lose the job. When I started wfh due to covid I did less and less and spent a lot of time watching tv with my laptop.
The job I’ve just started is a mix of office and home work and I honestly don’t know why they’ve hired me. I was in the office for the last 2 weeks and was fairly busy but I’m fairly sure I completed the task they hired me to do which was supposed to take at least 3 months. It seems my job now is just to email 3 people occasionally to remind them to do part of their job/fill in some forms that I can’t fill in. I’ve been working from home this week and have done embarrassingly little-but there seems to be almost nothing for me to do. I’ve messaged my manager and another colleague saying “I’m doing this at the moment and nearly done is there anything else you’d like me to do” and they either haven’t replied or have told me to do something that they must know takes about 10 mins. I have to go into the office for the rest of the week and I have no clue what I’ll do-I’m saving a small task I could do today so I can do it there slowly and look busy. I’m sat in my garden in the lovely sun now and feel quite guilty-but also isn’t it my manager’s responsibility to give me work to do (especially if I specifically ask for more work) and to check I’m being productive? I’m not interested in this industry and I doubt I’ll need a reference from them and am leaving in August-I wouldn’t mind that much if the contract was cut short as I’m just here for some extra money. So is it unreasonable to avoid mentioning to them how little I have to do and coast along till August? I would actually prefer to be busier but I’m worried if I keep pointing out that there’s not much to do they’ll just get rid of me.
Since I’ve found both temp office jobs I’ve done to have a very light workload-I was wondering-is it normal for office juniors/admin people to have very little to do and is there actually tons of people in offices everywhere all pretending to be busy? (Genuine question and no offence meant to any people who do work in admin and have busy roles). At my last company, there seemed to be far too many admin people all not doing a great deal.

Wow.

This thread has been an eye opener. I always end up working ridiculously long hours.

Like crazy long.

Up until 1am or 2am in the morning kind of long.

It's quite soul destroying thinking of all these roles where people don't have enough to do.

I don't even get time to pee or drink on some days.

And I'm a manager and I definitely would never, ever let a role be like this (not that I would expect them to work my hours either).

It really makes me feel quite rageful that there are managers out there that let this happen for a quite life

Wow, this is like another world. I’ve never had a job remotely like all of you, I’m constantly busy. Perhaps I should have gone into admin.

I’ve had many jobs like this, temp and perm (all admin funnily enough) it’s utterly soul destroying trying to look busy in an open plan office where everyone can see your screen. It’s also so demoralising like PP’s have said after a while, you feel so demotivated and worthless. I too would ask for extra work and either get told there was nothing to do or given a 5 minute task, it was then even more awkward sitting there for the rest of the day with nothing to do knowing that your manager or whatever knew you had nothing to do.

I couldn’t put myself in that position again, I’d give it a few months next time and if there literally was nothing for me to do and no one was going to give me anything then I’d ask to reduce my hours or have permission to browse the net/ go home. I’ve wasted too many years trying to look busy in admin roles.

I’m starting a new job next week, it’s WFH though. I’m really hoping it’s busy, but I guess at least if there are quiet periods in this one I’m at home so can just keep an eye on my laptop and crack on with house work/ preparing dinner etc.

I’d try and stick it out until August OP. I agree with what someone else said (I used to do this) copy and paste mumsnet threads into word and sit and read them, or sign up to a proof reading/ editing/ copy writing site and earn some dosh whilst you’re sat doing nothing. You can do the vast majority in Word so no one would know. (I did this in my last role too towards the end )

I just don't understand how someone can manage someone and not know what they've got on their plate, how long that stuff takes and what they're up to?

I'm not at all a micromanager but always know what each of my team is up to, their priorities and have a decent idea of workload.

Not to mention targets and deadlines and where they're up to against them.

Easy - because they’ve never done the job themselves.

Ah I remember temp jobs like this! That was 20 odd years ago though, I am surprised it hasn’t changed what with endless cost cutting, but rather reassuring it hasn’t.

Anyway carry on looking busy and try and write your novel if you can.

I’ve seen threads like this a few times here and I always find it a bit reassuring - 15 years of working full time and almost all my jobs have been so, so quiet. After a few years I started to think it must somehow be me, like maybe i was missing parts of the roles so the next couple of jobs I had I made so much effort to ask for stuff to do and was still quiet so I stopped. Job I’m in now, has the odd busy day but most days fairly quiet but usually enough to keep ticking along so that’ll do, I can’t be bothered to go for anything else.

One job I did leave after 3 months cos it was so bad. Like pp have said, it sounds great but actually just leaves you feel drained and demoralised. When you do get a task to do you can’t be arsed to do it, or end up making mistakes cos your brain just isn’t used to being engaged. And going on the internet at work isn’t like at home; it’s all monitored, can’t use videos, has restrictions on what you can look at. You’re on edge worrying you’ll get told off for looking online or not doing work. It’s really surprising how crap it is and how bad it makes you feel.

Thing is the other women in my team all seem so busy and I don’t get how they are and I’m not, especially as when I cover for them I don’t seem to get much extra...but surely we can’t all be faking being busy...can we?

Reminds me of Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber.

As someone who works for the NHS ( clinical) this thread makes me want to weep. Especially the people that work for council etc.

I’m NHS admin and barely get time to drink some days trying to keep up with the pace off! I had two days off last week and came back to a few snippy emails about me ‘being uncontactable’ (funnily enough for £10 and hour I don’t pick up phone calls or answer emails on my days off) We struggle to recruit and so we are short staffed. Managers, patients and other staff still expect everything to be done and it’s like being a hamster on a wheel every day.

To any “bored” admin staff out there - come join the NHS! You’ll be kept busy

Am so busy in my uni admin job I feel sick that I have forgotten something important!!! It's relentless. Not enough staff and so many people being off sick or resigning. Really want a less busy job where I can think and plan properly.

Has a temp job once for 2 week holiday cover at the council. They gave me a week either side for handover though all there was to do was file a few documents and write about 2 letters!! That was a long month!

As others have said not all admin jobs are like this. My daughter works in the care sector and doesn't have time to drink. I think she would love to have some days like this! Funnily enough the majority of sdministrators that haven't worked in that sector don't last long as they struggle in the job and seem to lack skills that are expected.

@JediGnot

We live in a disgustingly nasty form of capitalism built by and for the very richest in society.

Bosses job is to screw you as much as possible, ideally by breaking the law and not getting caught. Your job is to try to maximize wages whilst minimizing the amount of work you do.

I think you’re on the wrong thread. The shoehorn just doesn’t fit here.

When I got my first job as a research associate in a uni I was in an office with another more experienced. First thing she told me was that we were only expected to come into the office about 2 days a week so long as we told the secretary what days we were "working at home" and left a contact number. In 2 years I was only rung at home twice by my boss.

When I met with my boss she gave me some tasks and then suggested a meet in 2 weeks time to review progress. I had done the work by the end of the week and called to ask if she would like to bring our meeting forward. She said no, and when I asked for more work she gave me enough to last maybe one afternoon.

Eventually I asked the other researcher if she were equally under occupied. She admitted that everyone was, including the academics, and "you just have to spin things out and look busy.". It was she who suggested "If you want to go shopping or go home early just say your going to the library to look up references, You cant use your phone in there so no one can call to see where you are!"

There were no smart phones or texting back then.

Many years ago, in the early 1960s I began work as a library assistant. I worked in a large system with 30 odd branches and always volunteered when someone had to go on sickness or holiday relief. As soon as I walked out of the building there was no one to check up on what I did until I arrived at my destination. Few people had cars then so I was on public transport. I used the opportunity to go to the bank (there were n ATMs back then), go shopping or stop for a coffee. Libraries were always in busy shopping centers so there was plenty to do outside. So long as I arrived within an hour nothing was ever said. And I could always pretend that I did not know the area or that the conductor put me off the bus at the wrong stop! My boss thought I was a "very willing girl" and sang my praises to the superintendent of branches. He in turn fast tracked me onto a course to take my librarianship exams, and always helped me in my career.

Getting on is not always a case of working hard in a job - more of appearing to work hard.

I’ve had jobs like this. The day drags so badly ☹️

@JediGnot

We live in a disgustingly nasty form of capitalism built by and for the very richest in society.

Bosses job is to screw you as much as possible, ideally by breaking the law and not getting caught. Your job is to try to maximize wages whilst minimizing the amount of work you do.

@JediGnot

And yet on another thread re what you’d do if you got £2mil
You posted

* Obviously there are all sorts of other variables... personally I would move to a bigger and more expensive house; try to find someone to bring in to work with me on my business, cut my hours down to one or two days a week and spend much more time on my hobbies.*

How do I get a job like that?

These jobs exist because looking busy is an art form. One i sadly never mastered but those who do go far! I had a colleague who, whenever I visited their office to ask for work related help, was always super busy, havimg a manic day, the deadline for the accountability report was at 3 p.m., they were chasing up a 10% deficit on the funding grant and had been tasked with completion of all consent forms. I never had any idea of what any of these things meant as this person was the only one in their role but they sounded pretty full on tasks. I'd end up standing their for 20 minutes listening to how overworked they were and agreeing this was not on.

We got a new building and ended up sharing offices... an enlightening experience!! The working day consisted of 10 coffee breaks, nonstop mindless gossip, Facebook, online shopping, personal calls, daily completion of food journal, half hour before end time logged out of everything and just sat there! However, whenever anyone came in they'd instantly pick up the phone, start very loud speed typing or start reading their emails outloud... looking like a busy beaver, complaining how manic it had been because the deadline for the accountability report was at 3 p.m., they were chasing up a 10% deficit on the funding grant....

I’ve worked in senior roles for the library and they were all like this.

I’m not in that area anymore and my current job is so busy I panic I won’t always complete everything or have the desk cleared. I love it though

@TheNinny

I’ve worked in senior roles for the library and they were all like this.

I’m not in that area anymore and my current job is so busy I panic I won’t always complete everything or have the desk cleared. I love it though

Not the least bit surprised to hear a librarian even senior is not exactly rushed off their feet!

I used to work in libraries and found the opposite. The dumping of more and more council led services onto skeleton staff following rounds of ridiculous cuts was definitely not quiet.

@Tillied

I used to work in libraries and found the opposite. The dumping of more and more council led services onto skeleton staff following rounds of ridiculous cuts was definitely not quiet.

What were you actually so busy doing?

Wow, I had no idea so many jobs would be like this! I’ve never had a job that wasn’t busy most of the time. I’m now a TA and it’s crazy busy. Thinking I’d love a job like yours but actually it’d be boring and hard work pretending to be busy 😆 Enjoy the last few months, you can always offer it as feedback, when you leave.

@Sometimesfraught82 obviously the usual actual library related jobs like shelving, signing up new members, helping someone find 'the book with the blue cover, not sure of the name but surely you know what it is from that description' books', processing new stock and reservations on the system etc. Also cashing up etc.

Booking people onto the computers, helping people use them for stuff like housing applications, job centre stuff etc- for those who don't know how to use a computer you could easily be sat with someone for an hour whilst keeping an eye on everyone else on the computers and trying to help them when needed.

Daily rhyme time/outreach activities, including the summer reading challenge obviously during the summer. Preparing the children's area for school visits, helping the librarian to arrange said visits. Setting up for and running adult literacy groups, teen reading groups, book clubs, health initiative information sessions, and anything else they want you to do.

Answering queries from the switchboard about general council services, and helping people who with printing his timetables etc- basically an information point as everywhere else in town council related had closed.

Speaking to vulnerable people who are often lonely, and don't know where to turn, this can range from having a chat to working with other areas to identify how they can access the support they need.

It wasn't necessarily hard work, but be rare to not be constantly busy in some way. I loved it, but its mostly volunteers here now, with just one or two paid members of staff to handle cash and process peoples data when they join which volunteers aren't permitted to do.