Task Masking

In the modern workplace, productivity is often measured by visible output - emails sent, meetings attended, tasks ticked off. But beneath this surface-level activity lies a growing concern for HR professionals: task masking. This subtle behaviour is quietly eroding engagement, transparency, and long-term performance.

What is task masking?

Task masking occurs when individuals disguise the complexity, difficulty, or emotional demand of their work. It’s not always intentional; sometimes it’s a coping mechanism and at other times it’s a response to workplace culture. Employees may present tasks as being simpler than they are, fill time with low-value activities to appear busy or use productivity tools to signal progress without meaningful output. For HR these behaviours are a red flag, highlighting a disconnect between how work is perceived and how it is experienced.

Why it Matters

Task masking can significantly distort performance metrics, mislead managers about workload capacity, and contribute to burnout.

Some of the key risks include: misaligned resource planning, due to inaccurate task reporting; reduced employee engagement, as masking often correlates with emotional fatigue, and restricted development as employees avoid tasks that challenge or stretch them. Amongst teams there can be an erosion of trust.

HR professionals must recognise the cultural and systemic factors that encourage task masking, including:

-        Fear of judgment, or being perceived as incompetent

-        Pressure to perform in high-output environments                                                                

-        Lack of psychological safety where admitting difficulty is perceived to be a weakness

-        Perfectionism, which discourages transparency and vulnerability

These pressures often stem from leadership behaviours,  inadequate performance frameworks and dysfunctional communication norms.

To address task masking, leaders should work hard to reshape workplace culture. Here are five actionable strategies:

Promote Psychological Safety - Encourage open dialogue about workload, emotional strain, and task complexity.

Redefine Productivity Metrics - Shift focus from quantity to quality. Recognise and reward collaborative effort.

Train Managers in Emotional Intelligence - Equip leaders to recognise signs of masking and respond with empathy and support.

Audit Task Alignment - Regularly review whether tasks match employee strengths, interests, and development goals.

Model Transparency - Leaders should openly discuss their own challenges, decisions, and thought processes to set the tone.

Task masking is not a failure—it’s a signal. It tells us that employees are navigating complexity, pressure, and emotional strain beneath the surface. By unmasking these hidden dynamics, businesses can foster healthier, more authentic workplaces where productivity is sustainable, and people thrive.