Clock botching: Know about this new workplace trend and its hidden costs

The corporate world has long been familiar with presenteeism — when employees show up despite being unwell, often driven by guilt, pressure, or fear of being perceived as unreliable. But according to workplace assessment platform PracticeAptitudeTests.com, there’s a rising phenomenon that deserves equal attention: clock botching.

First reported by Digital Journal, the term describes employees who appear logged in or physically present but are mentally checked out. While it can look like procrastination, experts warn it’s more often rooted in burnout, disillusionment, or low morale.

From overperformance to quiet withdrawal

“Clock botching is similar to presenteeism, but instead of pushing through ill health, it’s about disengaging while still being on the clock,” Guy Thornton, founder of PracticeAptitudeTests.com, told Digital Journal.

“It might mean stretching a two-hour task across a whole day, half-listening on video calls, or drifting through emails without focus. Presenteeism is overperformance despite poor health. Clock botching is underperformance due to emotional fatigue or lack of purpose.”

Thornton’s observation aligns with Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024 report, which found that 59% of employees worldwide are “quietly quitting” — not actively job hunting, but psychologically disconnected from their work. This disengagement, Gallup estimates, costs the global economy $8.9 trillion annually in lost productivity.

Why now? Hybrid visibility and morale gaps

The conditions for clock botching have quietly strengthened over the past few years. Hybrid and remote models have made it easier to appear busy without consistent oversight, while some workplace cultures still value visibility over measurable output.

Thornton explains: “Presenteeism is often driven by internal or external pressure to keep up appearances. Clock botching, by contrast, often stems from low morale or burnout. It’s not about laziness — it’s about employees feeling unsupported, leading to quiet withdrawal.”

This is compounded by burnout, which the World Health Organization officially recognised in 2019 as an occupational phenomenon. WHO defines burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed — manifesting in exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy.

The hidden costs for organisations

Both presenteeism and clock botching undermine productivity and morale. The CIPD’s 2024 Health and Wellbeing at Work report found that 76% of UK employers observed presenteeism in the past year, and the productivity cost of such disengagement is often underestimated.

Thornton warns: “Disengaged or burnt-out employees don’t just underperform; they’re more likely to miss deadlines, make mistakes, and eventually leave. Over time, this erodes trust and damages team culture.”

Left unchecked, clock botching can also trigger compounding effects: high performers pick up the slack, resentment builds, and attrition rates rise. In knowledge work especially, where performance is harder to measure in real time, the problem can persist unnoticed until it has already affected client delivery or revenue.

Spotting and addressing the signs

For leaders, recognising clock botching requires a blend of data-driven observation and human connection. Subtle cues include:

• Consistently missed or extended deadlines without clear blockers.

• Low participation in collaborative discussions.

• Decline in initiative-taking or creative contributions.

If detected, the response should not default to disciplinary action. “Experiencing these behaviours doesn’t mean someone is lazy,” Thornton said. “It’s often the result of burnout, stress, or lack of support. The first step is recognition, followed by giving employees space to recover.”

Practical interventions include:

• Encouraging genuine sick leave without stigma.

• Monitoring workload distribution to prevent burnout.

• Creating channels for confidential feedback on morale.

• Training managers to spot early signs of disengagement.