In 2024, the corporate world seems to have settled back into its familiar post-pandemic grind. And with more and more workers returning to the office, the eight-hour workday is yet again business as usual.
But how much work is actually being done?
In a video posted on April 1, TikToker Madeline Taylor (@shirleytempleprincess444) says that her workday is less than 10 percent work, and she spends most of her time padding out the small tasks she is assigned in order to seem busy. The video went viral and currently has over 3.3 million views and counting.
Although Taylor doesn’t speak in the six-second video, the screen text reads, “Why the f*** was no one going to tell me when you join the corporate world you have to beg on your hands and knees for a task but the ones they give you genuinely take 10 minutes but you have to pretend it’s taking up the whole day.”
The video shows Taylor alone in an office as she rolls around in a swivel chair and makes faces at the camera as a mashup of Usher’s “Yeah!” and Taylor Swift’s “this is me trying” plays in the background.
In 2016, several years before the pandemic hit, Inc. published an article stating, “Research suggests that in an eight-hour day, the average worker is only productive for two hours and 53 minutes.”
“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American works 8.8 hours every day. Yet a study of nearly 2,000 full-time office workers revealed that most people aren’t working for most of the time they’re at work,” the article continues.
A survey performed by Zippia.com in January 2023 seems to suggest productivity may have slightly improved since 2016. The survey found, “There are only 3-6 productive hours in a workday. The average worker only spends 4 hours and 12 minutes actively working during an 8-hour shift.”
That doesn’t seem to account for Taylor’s claim that she is only doing 10 minutes of actual work—which implies she may be exaggerating—or has a job many people might dream about having.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Taylor via Instagram direct message for more information.
@shirleytempleprincess444 happy monday princessas 💖💖💖
♬ original sound – yuh (Arianas Version)
Opinions in the video’s comments sections seemed to be split. Many sympathized with Taylor’s plight and added that they were also often bored at work.
Daniela (@mujerdelholocene) wrote, “I was SO confused when I started my first corporate job and no one gave me like… any work???”
“Oh my god. Every day. I haven’t had a full day of work in two weeks. Tired of being boreddddd,” a second viewer said.
“Cooperate [sic] world and jobs are mostly cosplay at this point I swear. It’s one big game,” another added.
However, some viewers expressed amazement and even jealousy.
“What jobs are you guys talking about,” wrote Mo (@mo_whel).
One person commented, “At my corporate job I can’t get a free minute. I work the whole time. Where are you guys finding these jobs?”
And another wrote, “I promise you most corporate jobs are not like that.”
Another viewer agreed with both camps, writing, “Some months it’s non-stop overtime every day, other times I’m sitting there contemplating getting a mouse jiggler.”
One viewer chimed in with a suggestion on how to make the hours go by. “I listened to a LOT of audiobooks,” they wrote. “Each Game of Thrones novel is basically one work week.”
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