From moving a mouse to stay “active” to keeping a spreadsheet open in case someone walks by, employees across the UK are finding ways to manage how busy they appear at work, both remotely and in the office.

According to LiveCareer UK’s Workplace Visibility Report, 4 in 5 UK remote workers (81%) have used at least one tactic to appear busy online, including nearly half (47%) who use mouse jigglers or move their mouse to stay active. The report, based on a survey of 500 employed adults in the UK, reveals that managing appearances isn’t just for the work-from-home crowd. UK employees report experiencing nearly twice as much guilt and anxiety about handling personal tasks while working remotely (35%) as they do in the office (18%).

Key Findings

  • 4 in 5 UK remote workers use tactics to appear busy online: 81% of remote workers have used at least one tactic, led by scheduling out-of-hours emails (50%) and using mouse jigglers or moving their mouse (47%).
  • Office workers have their own visibility habits: 39% have used a phone booth or meeting room for a private call, 39% have spent longer reading news or articles, and 30% have kept a spreadsheet or document open in case someone walks by.
  • Employees feel nearly twice as guilty at home as in the office: 35% experience the most guilt or anxiety when handling personal tasks while working remotely, compared with 18% in the office.
  • 58% say minute-by-minute digital monitoring would increase their stress: 46% say it would make them feel less trusted, and 29% would consider looking for another job.
  • 14% already face strict monitoring: More than 1 in 8 UK respondents say their company already strictly monitors every minute of their digital activity.

UK Remote Workers Manage Their Digital Presence

Among employees for whom remote work applies:

  • 50% have scheduled emails to go out early in the morning or late at night
  • 47% have moved their mouse or used mouse-jiggling software to remain “active” on Slack, Teams, or similar platforms
  • 42% have joined a meeting on mute simply to “be there” while doing something else
  • 32% have kept a shared spreadsheet or document open
  • 20% have blocked out chunks of calendar time as “Focus Time” or “Deep Work”

19% say they have never used any of these tactics.

What this means: An active status, a meeting presence, or a late-night email can create an appearance of availability without necessarily providing much information about an employee’s actual performance.

In-Person Employees Have Their Own Playbook

Among employees for whom in-person work applies:

  • 39% have hidden in a phone booth or meeting room for a private call
  • 39% have spent longer on “educational” browsing, such as reading news or articles
  • 37% have taken extended coffee breaks
  • 30% have blocked calendar time as focus work
  • 30% have kept a spreadsheet or document open in case someone walks by
  • 18% have left a jacket on their chair or a coffee mug on their desk
  • 14% have taken the “long way” to the bathroom or kitchen to stretch the time

13% say they have used none of these tactics or do not take these kinds of breaks.

What this means: Not every one of these behaviours is an attempt to create a false appearance of work. But together, they show the different ways employees manage their visibility and availability while handling breaks or personal tasks in the office.

Employees Feel More Self-Conscious About Personal Tasks at Home 

More than one-third of UK employees (35%) say they experience the most guilt or anxiety about handling personal tasks while working remotely – nearly double the 18% who experience the most guilt or anxiety while in the office. Another 39% feel it equally in both settings, while 8% say they feel it in neither.

What this means: Both in-office and remote work create the pressure to stay available. Most UK employees still feel guilt or anxiety about handling personal tasks during the workday, and are more likely to feel it at home than in the office.

More Monitoring Could Add Stress Without Solving the Visibility Problem 

When asked how they would feel if their company strictly monitored every minute of their digital activity:

  • 58% say they would feel more stressed
  • 46% say they would feel less trusted by their employer
  • 29% say they would consider looking for another job
  • 24% say it would not significantly affect them
  • 14% say they already experience strict monitoring

What this means: Implementing stricter surveillance to solve visibility issues is likely to backfire. Rather than solving visibility concerns, the data suggests that minute-by-minute monitoring could increase stress, erode trust, and push talent to look elsewhere.

The findings reveal that digital tools can make it easier to see when someone appears online or active, but employees can also manage many of those signals. More intensive tracking may therefore provide greater visibility without necessarily providing a clearer picture of actual performance, while risking higher stress and staff turnover.

For employers, the more useful question may not be whether employees appear active every minute, but whether the measures being used actually reflect the quality and results of their work.

Methodology 

The findings in this report are based on a June 2026 survey of 500 employed adults from the UK. Respondents answered a mix of single-select and multiple-select questions about workplace visibility, tactics used to appear busy or available while working remotely and in person, feelings of guilt or anxiety when handling personal tasks, and attitudes toward strict digital monitoring by employers.