Do the ‘mouse shuffle’: new HR trend sending employers into ‘hiss-terics’

By David Campbell, Brand Rebellion Partner

A peculiar trend has emerged in the world of remote work, one that has employers scratching their heads and clutching their proverbial tails: the ‘mouse shuffle’. This phenomenon, where remote employees feign productivity by constantly moving their mouse or appearing online, is causing ripples of concern across workplace environments.

The mouse shuffle is a trend where employees in remote or flexible work settings feel the need to appear continuously busy and online to seem productive. A recent Forbes Advisor survey found “a notable 25 per cent of those surveyed, who confirmed their online activity is monitored by their employer, admit to pretending to be online while engaging in nonwork activities.” Conversely, it found that workers are 12 per cent more likely to be “happy with their job when they have freedom and autonomy in their work environment.”

So, what prompts this peculiar dance of the mouse? It stems from a difficulty in adapting traditional productivity measures of being seen at a computer to remote work scenarios, leading employees to overemphasise their presence at their computers, even when no one is forcing them to do so.

Workers move their mouse around to seem busy because they’re worried about looking lazy. They’re caught up in old-school thinking that being seen equals working hard. However, this façade of busyness comes at a cost. It breeds a sense of stress and guilt and ultimately leads to a decline in actual work accomplished. Instead of focusing on substantive tasks, workers find themselves caught in a cycle of appearing occupied, often by engaging in trivial activities like public chat or Slack channel messages.

The problem of trust

The underlying issue here is one of trust. The proliferation of software designed to monitor employees’ computer activity has only exacerbated the mouse shuffling epidemic. This kind of ‘software spying’ is usually to the detriment of the wider workplace culture, because it values looking busy over doing real work. It also suggests companies don’t fully trust their employees and might not understand what true productivity looks like in a modern, remote work setting.

The impact this lack of trust can have on workers is huge, hurting both mental health and job satisfaction. Constantly trying to look busy – instead of simply doing their work and taking breaks when needed – can make people feel stressed, micromanaged, and overwatched.

Where do we go from here?

Only when companies can start trusting employees more and focus on the work they produce, not how much they seem to be working, can this worrying trend finally start to fade away. Better work-life balance and happier employees would be the result.

Businesses should measure success by the results, not by how much time someone seems to be working. They should trust employees to manage their time and focus on achieving goals, not just being online all the time.

It suggests a need for cultural and organisational shifts towards valuing output and results over mere visibility. By fostering a culture that values output over visibility, employers can mitigate the mouse shuffle trend and cultivate a healthier, more productive, and engaged workforce. It’s time to bid adieu to the era of ‘busywork’ and embrace a future where trust and results reign supreme.