If you’ve ever worked in an office, you’re likely familiar with the idea that not all of your time at work is spent actually working.
Whether one is gossiping with co-workers, getting a snack, or simply staring off into space, a lot of time is wasted in an office environment. In fact, some research suggests that over the course of an eight-hour workday, employees are productive for less than three hours.
Given this disparity between the hours an employee is hired to work and the amount of work that needs to be done, workers have to find creative ways to pass the time. One such time-wasting method has recently gone viral after being posted by TikTok user Kat (@itskatsmithhh).
In a video with over 806,000 views, Kat shows herself at a desk.
“POV: You’re a quiet office job girly who’s trying to pass the time by because you got all your work done in 2 hours even though you’re there for 8 hours,” she writes in the text overlaying the video. The video then shows her playing the Disney Lilo & Stitch game Sandwich Stacker.
@itskatsmithhh Sandwich Stacker is one of the best flash games of ALL TIME #officejob #officegirly #officegirlie ♬ nintendo wii (mii channel) song – julie on the internet
In the comments section, many users claimed to have similar disparities between the amount of time they are expected to work and the amount of work that actually needs to be done.
“Me but I WFH and pretend 3 hours of work took me 8, and according to my manager I’m still a ‘quick learner,’” wrote a user.
“The way this just descibed exactly what i am doing at this very moment,” added another.
“I play the snake game and sometimes my coworkers catch me and I’m embarrassed,” claimed a third.
“I use to do type test with the girls in my office. We would see who would be the fastest. After we’d update our resume with new WPM,” shared an additional TikToker. “I’m 60wmp now.”
While many simply thanked Kat for reminding them of the nostalgic Sandwich Stacker game, others used the comments section as a space to discuss office work in general.
“Again there is almost no reason for employees to have to go into the office everyday,” stated a commenter.
“Literally like let us go home,” pleaded a second.
We’ve reached out to Kat via Instagram direct message.
Update: In an Instagram direct message exchange with the Daily Dot, Kat shared her thoughts on the 8-hour workday.
“I think if all your work is done, you should be able to leave early and even finish the day at home if needed,” she wrote. “There’s no need to be at the office for 8 hours when that many hours aren’t needed to do your work. But if you finish your work early and it looks like you’re doing nothing, you almost get scolded just for being a super efficient employee.”
For those who wish to resolve such issues with their employer, Kat has some advice.
“Perhaps walking them through your typical work day and showing them all that you can accomplish within a manner of hours could do the trick,” she detailed. “Unfortunately, my job requires that I be on scene, as there are some aspects that can only be done in the office. Even IF I had remote capabilities.”
