It’s 9:03 a.m. Someone logs into Slack. Calendar: filled. Keyboard: tapping. Outlook: open. Presence: active. But what’s really happening?

If you’re leading a team right now, you may be witnessing what looks like productivity — but isn’t. It’s called ghostworking.

A recent Fast Company article revealed some startling stats:

• 🧑💻 58% of U.S. employees say they regularly pretend to work
• 📞 15% have faked phone calls
• 📅 12% schedule fake meetings
• 🎹 22% use keyboards like musical props to “look busy”

Let that sink in.

This isn’t about laziness or lack of work ethic. This is about fear, mistrust, and a culture that rewards appearances over outcomes.

And it’s not just an American phenomenon — it’s happening here in Australia, across Asia-Pacific, and around the world.

It’s a global leadership crisis, hiding in plain sight.

So Why Are So Many People Ghostworking?

Let’s be honest — most people want to do good work. But when we build environments that confuse visibility with value, employees default to performance over purpose.

Here are the top reasons behind the ghostworking phenomenon:

• Layoff Anxiety: When headcount cuts loom, employees start prioritising “looking indispensable” over being innovative.
• Post-AI Confusion: The rapid introduction of AI tools has left many unsure of their role. “Am I being replaced?” becomes “I better look irreplaceable.”
• Lack of Clarity: When goals are fuzzy, people revert to performing busyness instead of driving impact.
• Toxic Productivity Culture: Hustle is still being glorified. Being seen online at all hours is treated like a badge of honour.

This leads to the modern illusion of work — packed calendars, endless check-ins, excessive documentation — that feels like effort, but delivers little value.

Why Surveillance and Micromanagement Make It Worse

The instinct for many organisations is to respond with:

• More monitoring software
• More daily reports
• More meetings and mandatory check-ins

But this only accelerates the problem.

When employees feel they are constantly being watched, they don’t feel safer — they feel scrutinised. And when trust erodes, real productivity disappears.

Surveillance doesn’t build accountability. It builds fear. And fear never fuels greatness.

What Great Leaders Do Differently

We’ve seen it time and time again at LeadershipHQ — the antidote to ghostworking isn’t tighter control.

It’s stronger leadership.

Leadership that’s rooted in:

• Trust
• Clarity
• Purpose
• Empowerment

When you lead with these values, people stop performing — and start engaging.

Here’s how to start shifting your leadership:

7 Tips to Eliminate Ghostworking and Elevate Real Productivity

1. Shift the Focus to Outcomes: Redefine what success looks like. Instead of tracking hours, track impact. What’s actually moving the needle?
2. Create Clarity of Purpos:e Ensure every team member knows why their role matters and how it connects to bigger goals. Purpose is the most powerful motivator.
3. Encourage Ownership, Not Overwork. Empower people to make decisions and manage their own time. Autonomy boosts both engagement and performance.
4. Model Healthy Productivity: Leaders who over-schedule, over-communicate, and never log off create unrealistic expectations. Show your team that balance is productive.
5. Have Real Conversations: Check in with your people — not just on tasks, but on how they’re feeling. Ask: “What’s working? What’s not?”
6. Don’t Reward the Wrong Behaviours: Recognise impact, creativity, collaboration — not just who sends the most emails or stays online the latest.
7. Build a Culture of Psychological Safety: When people feel safe to be honest, they stop pretending. Safety allows vulnerability, feedback, and innovation to thrive.

It’s Time to Lead Differently

Ghostworking is a symptom. The root cause? An outdated leadership style, out of touch, or overbearing.

The good news? It’s fixable.

At LeadershipHQ, we help leaders and organisations build trust-first, outcome-driven, high-impact cultures — where people don’t have to fake productivity, because they’re inspired to perform.

👋 Want to Transform Your Culture?

Let’s chat. If you’re seeing ghostworking or disengagement in your workplace, we can help.

💡 Coaching, culture strategy, leadership diagnostics, training, and courageous conversations — we’re here to help you lead better, not just manage more.

📩 Contact us today at https://leadershiphq.com.au/

Together, we’ll turn ghostworking into growth.