'Busy bragging' workplace trend has employees rethinking their office behavior: 'It doesn't impress people'
Touting tasks or accomplishments may have a negative impact on office relationships, career coach says
The latest workplace trend, "busy bragging," is igniting conversations on social media, with users debating whether the trend should be considered appropriate office behavior or not.
Unlike other viral job trends such as "quiet quitting" and "bare minimum Mondays," in which employees find ways to slack off at work, "busy bragging" focuses on verbally oversharing one's workload.
"Busy braggers" apparently tout their career accomplishments and persistently share how busy they are with colleagues or managers. They continuously boast about their successes, whether big or small, to appear more professional.
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"It seems like this is something that people are doing to try and be valued and recognized at work. A lot of the workforce is not feeling valued [for] the work that they're doing right now," Chelsea Stokes, a career coach based in New York, told Fox News Digital.
She said it's unclear where or when the term "busy bragging" originated.
The latest workplace trend that's stirring up conversations online has been dubbed "busy bragging" — and people are calling out the reasons why it may be an issue among colleagues. (iStock / iStock)
Forty-nine percent of employed adults say they are not satisfied with their job overall, with 38% saying they feel contributions at work aren’t valued a great deal or a fair amount, according to a Pew Research Center study released in March 2023.
"Progressively, especially over the last couple of years with COVID and the economy, I think people are just feeling devalued at work," Stokes said.
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Still, "busy bragging" could have more negative than positive reactions in work settings, and it could negatively affect a person's relationships with colleagues, Stokes said.
Some social media users appear to agree.
"Watch out. It doesn't impress people. It makes them think you're incompetent and unlikeable — and decreases the likelihood they'll help you," one user wrote on X.
Chelsea Stokes, a career coach based in New York, told Fox Digital that "busy bragging" can be negative if people use phrases that affirm burnout, such as saying, "I am so stressed." (Kristin Litzenberg / Fox News)
"So ‘busy bragging’ is the latest toxic workplace trend, having a colleague who tells you how busy they are all the time, when in reality they are not as busy as they make [it] out to be. Every workplace has one of these, right?" another user posted.
"Busy bragging can cause burnout in co-workers," one man wrote.
Users have been sounding off on social media, with one person on X calling "busy bragging" a "tactic of insecurity." (iStock / iStock)
Another user chimed in on the debate, saying that he or she feels that at times, "busy bragging" is "fully justified."
The user added, "But in many cases, folks see it as ‘stress bragging,’ or ‘busy bragging,’ signaling how important and needed the person is."
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One woman said, "I find it’s usually a tactic of insecurity. Being busy makes you feel important. As I’ve gotten more confident, I’ve cared less about showing off how busy I am, because everyone else is too, and we should all support each other."
"Are you openly complaining? Are you being negative at work?"
Stokes said some people may be unconscious "busy braggers," and that it's important for those people to look for signals and signs to cultivate self-awareness.
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"I would start to become aware of your speech … Are you openly complaining? Are you being negative at work? Are you feeling like you have a high workload, but you've done nothing to try and alleviate the problem?" she said.
Employees can make their work achievements more obvious by setting up check-ins with managers to share progress, which is "much better than busy bragging," said an expert. Professionally presenting evidence of your productivity could even put you in (iStock / iStock)
Stokes said that instead of "bragging" about finished and unfinished projects, it could be more meaningful to show your managers and fellow team members that you're making progress, meeting daily goals and seeing tasks to completion.
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If implemented appropriately, "busy bragging" could be beneficial to the so-called "bragger," as it may increase the chances of a raise and or a promotion, Stokes added.
Make your work achievements notable by setting up weekly, bi-weekly and or monthly check-ins with your manager to share progress — which is "much better than busy bragging," Stokes suggested. All workplaces operate on their own schedules, so be sure to follow appropriate guidelines set by your office teams.
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