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Original poster

Do Most People Skive At Work?

68 replies

Parkerbosily · 22/04/2025 20:16

Just a very friendly and fun debate going on at work today when someone tried to tell on someone else for being on TikTok in the toilet and obviously skiving rather than working which the manager said he's not bothered about, so long as we get our work done he doesn't care. But it sparked a bit of a conversation where people were basically all admitting to skiving from work whenever they could with a few exceptions saying they didn't.

I definitely take 5 minutes at least once or twice a day just hiding and playing on my phone. I wondered if many others felt the same? (I'm good friends with my manager who has also admitted to doing this which I find pretty amusing considering he's usually the highest rank in the building)

OP posts:
Tumblingthrough · 22/04/2025 20:21

No skiving off here

Anonnnomous · 22/04/2025 20:24

No. Just try and get everything done tbh. You can tell the ones who skive. The worst was when I worked in a nursing home. Back breaking work. Made worse by those who disappeared to sit on the toilet looking at their phone or hang out the back smoking. Get some integrity! Everybody knows you're a lazy waster.

mynameiscalypso · 22/04/2025 20:26

I don’t consider taking regular breaks away from my computer to be skiving. I think it’s essential really.

MyUmberSeal · 22/04/2025 20:26

I work in a funeral home and quite often take myself off to the coffin store shed for 15 minutes, sit on the floor and flick through recent MN threads.

MigGril · 22/04/2025 20:27

It totally depends on how busy we are, but my skiving tends to be either reading the news or reading a specific message board that is actually relevant to work a lot of the time.

On busy days we don't get a minute spare though.

CherryBlossomPie · 22/04/2025 20:27

No.

When I was in my 30s and trying to get by on 5 hours sleep I'd sometimes try and have maybe a 45 second kip on the toilet.

LonelyLeveret · 22/04/2025 20:27

Yeah I indulge in a few skiving off breaks in a shift, usually if I need a bit of headspace. I used to work myself to the bone and burnt out, now I get the work done but don't push myself to go above and beyond. Leave work having a bit of energy left for me. It's just a job, if you dropped dead they wouldn't notice/give a shit.

SilverButton · 22/04/2025 20:28

I wouldn't count five minutes off once or twice a day as "skiving".

Iwontlethtesungodownonme · 22/04/2025 20:30

No. I have a full diary every day and admin work to fit in between. There just isn’t time.

Xmasweappee · 22/04/2025 20:32

Someone at my office was outraged that a manger pulled her up for wrapping Christmas presents in the afternoon . She now works at home probably doing even more of her own stuff .

Totot · 22/04/2025 20:37

You’re supposed to have a break! Where on earth do you work?!!!

I don’t think what you are describing is skiving. Not doing your job is something else entirely. If I wanted I could ‘skive’ all day, but it wouldn’t get my work done and I’d have to work through the night to meet deadlines.

whitewineandsun · 22/04/2025 20:41

I took tea breaks whenever the smokers went outside. Seemed only fair.

purplepenguindancing · 22/04/2025 20:42

In my last job, never. I was working every minute of my contracted hours and then some.

In this job, all the bloody time. And I swear everyone else is doing it too…

LuluDelulu · 22/04/2025 20:44

Yeah I do. I’m an academic and I need 5-10 mins scrolling Twitter or whatever sometimes before my brain will switch into gear to write something decent. Or I’ll go clean the cupboard out or something if I’ve got writer’s block.

I used to be a teacher and I didn’t skive in that job. It’s impossible!

I do think it’s very difficult to sit at a computer from 9-5 in full concentration mode if your job requires a lot of thinking. So I guess it depends what you do for a living.

LuluDelulu · 22/04/2025 20:45

On second thoughts maybe I’m being harsh on myself. It’s probably good to take breaks, and not ‘skiving’!

Doyouthinktheyknow · 22/04/2025 21:01

I don’t ‘skive’ but I don’t always work flat out all day. Even on the busiest day I will take 2 minutes to respond to a message or something. Most days I do have time for short breaks here and there but I tend not to take a lunch break as such.

I’m generally very hard working though, always have been and it wouldn’t occur to me to slack off.

Odras · 22/04/2025 21:05

I couldn’t possibly work solid at my job all day. It involves a lot of thinking, spreadsheet , reports, sometimes long meetings where I’m talking and you’d need to take 10 minutes after. I’m measured by my output so it’s up to me to manage my own time. I think it just depends on your job.

KezzaMucklowe · 22/04/2025 21:06

I don't skive, but I'll take breaks as and when I need to because it helps me focus. I'm way more productive if i take breaks.
We actually stop and do standing work outs in the office at least once a day.
Obviously I don't join in if I'm in a meeting or on the phone or in " the zone"
I'll text friends/ family for a but and have a browse on line to plan dinner.
I definitely can't just focus non stop all day.

Frauhousemouse · 22/04/2025 21:19

I’m due back to work soon and I plan to ‘skive’ as much as possible! Eg WFH - do washing, cleaning/gardening with headphones on so I can still make calls. In the office I’m going to block my diary to take regular ‘reading/research/planning’ breaks too. I actually think it can make you more efficient!

weareallcats · 22/04/2025 21:20

It’s a long time since I’ve worked in an office environment - I wouldn’t say that people skived as such, but there were definitely people who made an effort to look busier than they actually were - I’ve seen that kind of behaviour everywhere I’ve worked. I spent nearly all my contracted hours with clients, so no chance for me - had to do (mostly unpaid) overtime to get paperwork done.

EilishMcCandlish · 22/04/2025 21:27

I never used to. Then I got burned out and have never really got back to my stride.
Now I do the absolute bare minimum, flying under the radar until I can retire. Only another 4 years to go...

Almahart · 22/04/2025 21:34

5 mins off here and there isn't skiving, that's totally legit.

familyissues12345 · 22/04/2025 22:00

I can have some really quiet days, I work in a pretty niche area with people booking appointments to see me, so I can have a huge caseload at times (we don’t keep a waitlist) or it can be really quiet which I can’t control. So yes, I do have some days where I spend a lot of time twiddling my thumbs 😁

Sunshineandgrapefruit · 22/04/2025 22:01

I just see it as cheating myself. I still have the same amount of work. If I skeive I am just making things harder on myself.

Thepeopleversuswork · 22/04/2025 22:03

Depends what you mean by "skiving". I take fairly regular breaks (quick fresh air break, tea break, go to stroke my cats break when at home, pop on Mumsnet for ten minutes, coffee break when in the office). But I'm usually working from 6am and sometimes still working after 9pm so fucked if I'm going to beat myself up over a quick mental health break.