Elon Musk says remote workers are just pretending to work. Turns out he’s (sort of) right

In a memo to staff, Musk said that remote work was no longer acceptable.

The richest man in the world said that remote workers should pretend to work somewhere else after he confirmed the memo was authentic.

Pretending to work is hard work for remote workers.

Knowledge workers waste an extra 67 minutes online each day doing menial tasks in order to prove to their managers and colleagues that they are available and working.

It's taking a heavy toll. A survey found that more than half of knowledge workers feel pressured to show their online status by responding to emails, adding comments to spreadsheets, or updating project management tools.

It shows that escaping the culture of presenteeism isn't as simple as you might think.

‘Digital presenteeism’ 

This is called digital presenteeism. Traditional presenteeism involves workers staying at their desk for no reason other than to prove to their bosses they are working.

Digital presenteeism depends on that same visibility, whether that means responding to notifications or not. It doesn't correlate to any better work output.

Maintaining active slack status is a concern. Musk is one of many CEOs who believe in the superiority of in- person work.

Chris Merrill, CEO of Harrison Street, said that remote work is seen as no match for the office when it comes to learning, growth, and creating upward mobility. He said it was important to get the younger employees to work hard.

Seven in 10 people who work during the hours that work best for them, which are not necessarily when their colleagues are online, feel this pressure most acutely.

The stakes of empty presenteeism are higher for workers who aren't willing to take time off when they need it. People with long COVID are more likely to engage in presenteeism or show up at work when they are not able to fully function.

More than 70% of C-level executives reported feeling the same. The signal to impart change should be theirs, according to a survey. It is possible that they are stressed to present themselves as fully online when they are not in person.

More than five and a half hours in a week is the amount of time workers say they spend online to avoid suspicion that they aren't working enough. The hours don't do anything for the company or the employee. Only 25% of people said they were productive.

Flexibility is more important than anything when it comes to producing quality work. When people are able to work flexible hours, they are more productive and create higher-quality output, and they agree that being online at certain times is counter productive.