Goldbricking is the act of avoiding work or productive activity when there is work to be done. It can be costly to employers and hurts hard-working employees. It’s important to differentiate between authorized breaks and goldbricking.
Goldbricking is a term that is often used to describe the action of choosing not to engage in work or other productive activity when there is actually work to be done. Sometimes referred to as a slack or breakup, people who have goldbick are generally not looked upon favorably in the workplace, as they choose to participate in non-work activities rather than earn the salary or wages provided by an employer. While tinkering is sometimes easy to identify, some practitioners are very proficient when it comes to appearing to be at work when in fact they are doing nothing but work-related tasks.
The fancy name for this type of business comes from an old practice of coating cheap metals and other substances with a thin layer of gold. Doing so helps hide the true nature of the object, giving it the appearance of something that is worth much more than it really is. With goldbricking, it’s not unusual for people actually joking to present the appearance of being at work when they’re not actually doing anything related to their job responsibilities. This means that while they may seem productive, they’re actually the opposite.
The incidence of goldbricking in the workplace can be very costly to employers. When staff are not completing tasks on time and generally using their time to be productive at work, this increases the overall cost of operation for that task. Since goldbricking can occur in any size business, the potential to undermine the success of the business exists in nearly every industry. In the long run, goldbricking hurts everyone from the employer to lower profits for hard-working employees who have access to fewer benefits thanks to the inactivity of their lazier colleagues.
It’s important to note that there is a difference between taking an authorized break from work activities and doing DIY. Typically, an employee who has completed all assigned tasks, has offered to help colleagues with outstanding tasks, and waiting for more tasks to do may choose to seek entertainment by reading personal email, visiting a social networking or engaging in other harmless pastimes during this short period. If the employee continues to engage in those tasks when more tasks have been provided and there is still work to be done, then the task becomes goldbricking.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
