Tech Tricks for Slacking at Work

One of the best additions to my cubicle was a large dry-erase board that I kept on an easel beside my desk. I kept a running list of projects that I was working on mixed with completed projects on that board for everyone to see . . . sometimes my "projects" were coded such that only I knew what they meant and usually it was a reminder about a party, tee time, or some such. I kept that board filled to the boarders, with lots of circles, check marks, and RED highlights. Dang, it looked so important . . . so official. My supervisor walked in one day to reassign a project from a coworker to me, but took one look at my tracking board and said, "Man, you've got enough on your plate . . . I'll get somebody else to take this." I graciously thanked her and did one of those mock "wipe-the-sweat-from-my-brow" gestures. Really, I had plenty of work to do and was staying busy at work and at home with my job, but my board saved me from being overloaded.

Stealing time is stealing money. If you're so darned rightous about 'not making enough money' then do something about it.' Or, get another job where you're appreciated and paid better. I bet you would be the same slouch wherever you land, however.

And, if you're so socially correct - just keep a log of how much time you're wasting on the clock and tell your employer that you shouldn't be paid for that dead time.

I dislike whiners and some of these comments are childish beyond belief. It's truly no wonder our country is so screwed up.

Slackers have always amazed me. Working for a state agency in Mississippi, I worked with vested state employees who had no fear whatsoever of losing their jobs. They didn't even fake the appearance of being busy. They surfed the web, made personal calls, filed their nails, burned CDs, read books and periodicals, and only did the minimal "must do" daily requirements. I discovered a species of slacker who, despite being sent to various classes on software applications, could never produce a flyer, spreadsheet, table or document. So, we sent them to more classes. Time after time, these people would just tell a supervisor, "Oh, I can't do that," or "I'm not very good at that," and the supervisor would just accept their refusal to take an assignment. As a result, those of us who did learn the software, we got nailed with every project that came down the pike - regardless of the workload we were carrying. I found myself doing our Public Information Officer's job, because she simply wouldn't do it. Do you think there were any repercutions? Nah. She was safe - vested - retirement in sight. That's got to be the best deal in town. Work for the state, amass enough years to be vested, and then just refuse to perform. You don't even have to fake it. Meanwhile, the honest and hardworking employees get burned out. Thanks, Mississippi! Now you know why I turned in my resignation!

This is all well and good.. But what about us who do not work in offices!!!!! I work for a major food service chain.. (ok.. Wawa!) and am even an Ass't Manager (who gets bonus', bene's, and everything!!) but.. there is NO way you can look busy when you are not! You can always tell when sandwiches and coffe aren't being made.. the store isn't cleaned, product isn't faced, etc. and etc.. and etc!!!.. Someone tell me how to slack off at a place like that!!!!! I do love my job, but I laugh at all of this blackberry office computer personal phone call nonsense.. I actually work for my money!!

I got by with a clipboard,a sheet of paper ,and a pen

Iam a flat rate technician it means I only get paid when Iam under the hood of a car if i stand around it comes out of my pocket maybe more employers should look at this type of pay scale if slacking off is a problem oh and by the way American companies do pay pretty well its just that we as Americans have become so greedy that we always want more HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH THE JONES SO TO SPEAK

Awesome tips ! don't panic over taking some "me" time during the work day. Just don't abuse it. Look at Google for example.. they actually build in "me" hours to the employees schedules. US. workers already log more "company" hours than any other country so take a break eh... and stop buying crap from ChinNndia.. maybe your job won't seem so bad.

Gee folks lets play this out,I wake up and go to my job and go onto myspace.com hit on a few 15 year old girls and tell them i am a big time executive, the my buddy at the other end of cubical row decides that he is a stock broker. and a few more people in the company do this as well. and a few unanswered phone calls, loss leads,contracts of customer service complaints or questions go unanswered,and my employers business now goes elsewhere.What do when i see 2 paychecks and a letter saying if i want my job I need to move to India of Fucking China?Keep up the good work you fucking lazy pieces of shitand cry to Lou Dobbs.

Stealing is defined as an act of purposely taking the property of another with criminal intent. Taking a break at work without having to go through the trouble of being caught while someone else is strolling by on THEIR break, is not stealing; So to all the brown-nosers that feel it is such a crime, if ya cant beat em', join em'. I doubt you all are righteous, honest, American Fellows. If a clerk over changes you at a store, how many of you would honestly run back in to give it back? I thought so. So please refrain from oblivion and live a little!

Sometimes people work harder at slacking than they would if they just did their job. My ex worked at an office in a cold northern city. A co-worker always arrived very late for work and tried to pretend he had been there for hours. This was very difficult in the winter, when he would need an overcoat and boots, etc. So he joined a health-club which was in a bldg. connected to his work-place by a walk-bridge. This was so he could have a locker! He would put his coat, etc. in the locker, then walk over to the office in his shirt-sleeves, usually carried a file-folder he kept in the locker as part of his "disguise". He would act very busy and overworked, and sometimes even had the nerve to make nasty comments to fellow workers about how late they arrived!

A very long time ago my history teacher told my class something, "Other countries work to live, while America lives to work."
I admit i have slacked a couple times.I think that it's okay to slack once in awhile (depending on your job). If you don't have much to do take a little brake, breathe, and relax.
It doesn't kill the economy if you take a little brake.
And for AOL putting this on the internet, well it's not like it isn't anywhere else. Maybe they had the intensions to teach some people these things, but come on, it's not like you didn't already know these things or maybe perhaps...even do them? Atleast it's not another add about britney spears, lindsay, or paris.

i can see why everybody is mad and talking about theft, because the tricks are not for poor people who can`t even afford that freaking blackberry . how you gonna tell a mexican to use his blackberry to cheat on his construction site or while doing your lawn.that shit is for people who are overpaid not for underpaid worker who can`t even paying their metro pcs bill on time .that`s why your sorry ass is so mad, get over it.

I work with someone who who does absolultey nothing for 8 hours a day 5 days a week. Plays on MY SPACE, Google, Emails friends and talks on the phone all day but she is completley paranoid that people are watching her. Well gee I wonder why? Annoying for the rest of us who acutally have to WORK for a living. Oh yeah we start at 8 am not 9 when she feels like starting. Maybe she could use some new ideas for slacking.

Diane, the high school teacher, has the right idea. Sorry but I'm a teacher too... 8th graders and they have no problem finding ways to cheat at almost anything and everything. To me setting an example by doing MY BEST work is the only real issue. I am the only one who has to go home and live with myself. And I can post this because at anytime I want today because I'm off work for the summer... my first summer in 18 years of teaching. I clicked on the article to read about what my students and even my classroom aide might be doing that I'm not aware of when I think they are "busy". There's a lot of 'crap' out there, it's what you do with it that matters.

When one waits over 4 months for a yearly review to get a raise or not, but not knowing one or the other. Tends to unmotivate some people and in turn, slacking in the front office will get the trickle down affect. You get what you pay for. my bill collectors wont wait why should I. That why I'm a slacker and proud of it.

Well, as a full time, VERY busy ER nurse, I can't even imagine how to slack at work. We don't even have chairs in my department. I don't think I've even been to "lunch" in 2 years! There is absolutely no excuse for 'slacking' at work! People who sit on their butt at work and play games have never had a "real" job. Spend a day with one of us doing some real work, and you'll be grateful to sit behind a desk and "work".