Why Sitting in the Office With No Work Hurts Productivity

byMAYANK SINGH KUSHWAH -January 06, 2026

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There was a phase in my career when I used to ask myself a strange question every morning before leaving for the office:

What exactly am I going to do there today?

Not because I was avoiding work.

But because most days, there actually was no work.

No tasks.
No tickets.
No team members around.
No meetings.

Still, I went to the office. Every day.

When presence matters more than purpose

I work in IT.

My clients are international.

My work happens on a laptop.

My meetings are online.

Yet I was expected to spend hours in the office, even on days when there was literally nothing assigned.

I raised this multiple times with my manager, respectfully and clearly.

The answer was always the same:

This is company policy.

No discussion.

No flexibility.

No room to think differently.

And that made me pause. Not with anger, but with confusion.

The silent frustration many developers carry

Here’s the part many people don’t talk about.

You sit in the office for 8 hours.

You do almost zero productive work.

You come back home tired, mentally drained, feeling useless.

Then at night, because the client is in a different time zone, you get a call.

A meeting.

A discussion.

A task.

Now you work again.

That is not flexibility.

That is not productivity.

That is silent overtime.

And over time, it builds frustration, not because of workload, but because of lack of respect for time and energy.

This is not about blaming companies

Let me be clear.

This is not about hating offices.
This is not about avoiding responsibility.
This is not about working less.

This is about working smart.

If there is no work during the day, forcing developers to sit idle in an office does not create value.

It only drains motivation.

A simple idea that could change everything

Imagine this instead.

If there is work, call the team to the office
If there is no work, allow people to stay home
If the client needs late meetings, adjust the day schedule
Measure output, not chair time

Developers are not school students.
We are professionals.

Give us ownership, and we deliver.
Give us trust, and we exceed expectations.

This flexibility is not a loss for companies.
It is a win-win situation.

Employees feel respected
Burnout reduces
Productivity improves
Retention becomes easier

What this experience taught me

I learned that frustration does not come from work pressure alone.

It comes from:

Meaningless routines
Forced presence
Ignored feedback
Rigid policies in flexible jobs

Remote work is not a privilege anymore.
It is a logical outcome of how modern IT works.

Looking at the bigger picture

Some companies are still transitioning.
Some are stuck in legacy thinking.
Some are afraid to let go of control.

That does not make them bad.
It means they are still learning.

But as professionals, we also have the right to reflect and choose environments that align with our values.

Final thought

Work should give growth, learning, and purpose.
Not just attendance marks.

If a developer can deliver results from anywhere,
then flexibility is not a risk.
It is an investment.

The future of work is not about offices or homes.
It is about trust, outcomes, and respect for human time.

And the day companies truly understand this,
both employees and businesses will grow together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do service-based IT companies ask employees to come to the office even when there is no work?

Many service-based companies still follow attendance-driven policies. Office presence gives management visibility and a sense of control, even when actual work can be done remotely. This approach often comes from legacy work culture rather than technical necessity.

Is sitting idle in the office considered productive?

Not really. Productivity comes from meaningful output, not physical presence. Sitting in the office without tasks often leads to mental fatigue and reduced motivation, especially for developers whose work depends on focus and creativity.

Why do developers feel frustrated in hybrid work models?

Frustration usually builds when there is forced office attendance with no assigned work, followed by late-night client calls due to time zone differences. This creates unofficial overtime and disrupts work-life balance.

Can IT work be done fully remotely?

Yes. Most IT work such as coding, testing, deployment, documentation, and client meetings can be done remotely. The challenge is not technology but trust, communication, and outcome-based performance measurement.

How does lack of flexibility affect employee morale?

When companies ignore employee feedback and enforce rigid policies, employees feel undervalued. Over time, this reduces engagement, increases burnout, and leads to higher attrition.

What is a better alternative to fixed office hours?

A flexible model works better. Allow developers to work from home when there is no on-site requirement, adjust schedules for international clients, and measure performance based on results instead of hours spent in the office.

Is remote flexibility beneficial for companies as well?

Yes. Flexible work environments often see higher productivity, better employee retention, and stronger trust between teams and management. It becomes a win-win situation for both employees and organizations.

Are companies slowly changing this mindset?

Many organizations are evolving, but change is gradual. Companies that adopt trust-based, outcome-driven work cultures tend to attract and retain better talent in the long run.