Bosses beware, Gen Z are ‘task masking’—tricking managers into thinking they’re working after being hit with a return to office mandate

(Credit: Iuliia Burmistrova—Getty Images)

• Bosses want workers in the office for productivity. So Gen Z workers are using the increased focus on presence to “task mask” and look busier than they are—but experts warn it could lead to further stress and burnout.

Ever since Amazon’s seismic return to office mandate late last year, more employers have been ending remote work and demanding that more staff show up in person.