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6 Ways To Slack Off at Work — and Get Away with It

By Stephanie Wu

No matter how hard you concentrate, there will always be days when you can’t get down to work. The good news: You’re not alone. The average employee is productive just four hours a day, according to a recent study of 1000 British workers conducted by Cadillac. (The car company maintains that an executive’s most productive hours are, naturally, while driving to and from work.) The study found relentless phone and e-mail interruptions to blame for office ennui. But just because most workers slack off, doesn’t mean it’s employer-sanctioned behavior. If you spend more time Googling ex-boyfriends than filling out TPS reports, we’ve compiled our favorite ways to spice up a boring day on the job without getting busted.

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Take Some Alone Time

office, work, career, slacker, slack off, job, profession woman reading newspaper and magazine Sometimes, you just need a change of scenery. Print out your work, and take it into the conference room to read over. But bring along some magazines, even a newspaper. No one will suspect a move as brazen as slacking off in a public work space. Observers will likely assume you\'re doing research. (Have a quick answer ready in case you are asked what youre up to. Here\'s a good one: \"I\'ve got an idea for a long-term project. I was just researching its feasibility.\")

Get Some Air

office, work, career, slacker, slack off, job, profession woman with coffee cup going to work If you just need to stretch your legs and get out of the office for a bit, offer to do a coffee run or drop off mail for your co-workers. This way, your extended break actually crowns you the office hero. Helpful hint: if you offer up a late coffee run around 4:30pm, youre less likely to have to juggle 8 cups of Starbucks on your way back.

The Alt Tab Magic

office, work, career, slacker, slack off, job, profession woman typing on her computer Learn the magic of alt-tab (or apple-tab on a Mac). This keyboard shortcut scrolls through your open windows quickly, ideal for when your boss\'s heels are clacking down the hallway. It\'s a much smoother response than reaching for the mouse to minimize a window, which can look suspicious to nosy bystanders.

Blogs as Industry Intelligence

office, work, career, slacker, slack off, job, profession woman smiling at her computer Staying on top of industry news is part of your job, but who says you need to limit your reading to fusty trade papers? Bookmark the snarky blogs that cater to your industry (for New York media, try Gawker.com; Wall Street warriors check out Dealbreaker.com). If you get busted \"wasting time on the Internet\", feign shock, and explain your web-based research methods.

Stay Messy

office, work, career, slacker, slack off, job, profession a woman at a messy desk A messy desk screams \"busy bee\" to anyone in your workspace. Keep piles of paper, old newspapers, and errant office supplies lying around to maintain the idea that you\'re important and always busy. People will see the mess and feel bad about giving you any extra work to do.

Prepare Props

office, work, career, slacker, slack off, job, profession coffee and muffin on a table If you\'re the kind of person who finds it impossible to arrive on time, try the coffee-and-muffin trick. Before you leave at night, keep your computer on and put a cup of coffee and a half-eaten muffin at your desk. You\'ll beat even the earliest bird in.

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