‘I usually work less than 1 hour a day’: Employee gets promoted for playing video games during work hours after convincing management he’s a top performer only by looking busy on office days

It's common knowledge at this point that corporate life never fails to reward the wrong behaviors. Most of the time, we get stories that are pretty much infuriating, but this one is sort of the opposite because when someone learns how to rig the system and game their way to promotion, I for one think we should all cheer for that person.

So, after a messy reorganization splits the office dream team, one employee decides to stop trying altogether. Work from home becomes gaming from home, and quiet quitting turns into full-blown digital escapism. A single "catch-up day" handles two weeks of tasks, while the rest of the time goes to swapping spreadsheets for controller batteries. The result? A shocking career twist that proves effort and visibility have officially divorced.  

At home he's playing Balatro, running Ironman grinds with friends, and losing entire days to new releases without a moment of guilt. But on office days, he transforms into the model employee: well-dressed, charming, available for small talk, and pretending to type like productivity itself is contagious. Management eats it up. Efficiency looks identical to engagement when no one's actually tracking outcomes.  

The irony lands in the form of a promotion. new title, more money, and a glowing reputation as one of the team's best and brightest. Nothing changed except the attitude. The less he cares, the more they love him. It's not fraud, exactly, just a flawless demonstration of how office culture runs on perception, not performance. 

Author image for Etai Eshet Etai Eshet
Add us on Google
Advertisement

Stay up to date by following us on Facebook!

Tags

workplace discussion employment issues boss workplace-stories work-life balance
Scroll Down For The Next Article

Also From FAIL Blog

Neighbor vandalizes a renter’s car, and after five keying and spray paint incidents, he finally catches her on camera, but fears the unclear footage won't be enough to get her successfully reported: 'Cops said you can’t directly see her hand doing it'

Neighbor vandalizes a renter’s car, and after five keying and spray paint incidents, he finally catches her on camera, but fears the unclear footage won't be enough to get her successfully reported: 'Cops said you can’t directly see her hand doing it'

Trending Now

18-year-old high schooler boards flight alone, leaving mom, stepfather, and 3 and 6-year-old half-siblings behind: 'I was basically expected to take over my mom's part of the parenting'

18-year-old high schooler boards flight alone, leaving mom, stepfather, and 3 and 6-year-old half-siblings behind: 'I was basically expected to take over my mom's part of the parenting'

01
HR pressures employee returning from 3 years of medical leave to input all of their time-off requests once they return to work, then gets mad when they use all 75 accrued days: ‘Still makes me smile like a maniac’

HR pressures employee returning from 3 years of medical leave to input all of their time-off requests once they return to work, then gets mad when they use all 75 accrued days: ‘Still makes me smile like a maniac’

02
15+ Employees who quit their jobs for good reasons: 'The boss started insisting on 4-6 hours of overtime almost every day'

15+ Employees who quit their jobs for good reasons: 'The boss started insisting on 4-6 hours of overtime almost every day'

03
Manager faces HR backlash for unfairly "penalizing" a single mother, giving her a lower review and raise than her "flexible" male coworker, as he can work more after-hours and travel on short notice: 'They do equally good work, but he does more of it'

Manager faces HR backlash for unfairly "penalizing" a single mother, giving her a lower review and raise than her "flexible" male coworker, as he can work more after-hours and travel on short notice: 'They do equally good work, but he does more of it'

04
Finnish worker finishes working and quits restaurant job after being overworked during university exam week, then shuts down the boss’s guilt-tripping attempts: ‘I told boss it's my right to resign effective immediately’

Finnish worker finishes working and quits restaurant job after being overworked during university exam week, then shuts down the boss’s guilt-tripping attempts: ‘I told boss it's my right to resign effective immediately’

05
'I couldn’t believe the audacity': Woman running small business from home debates confronting employee who treats her home like a free buffet, going through her cupboards and taking snacks for home, but fears it will jeopardize their work relationship

'I couldn’t believe the audacity': Woman running small business from home debates confronting employee who treats her home like a free buffet, going through her cupboards and taking snacks for home, but fears it will jeopardize their work relationship

06
Advertisement