‘I usually work less than 1 hour a day’: Employee gets promoted for playing video games during work hours after convincing management he’s a top performer only by looking busy on office days

It's common knowledge at this point that corporate life never fails to reward the wrong behaviors. Most of the time, we get stories that are pretty much infuriating, but this one is sort of the opposite because when someone learns how to rig the system and game their way to promotion, I for one think we should all cheer for that person.

So, after a messy reorganization splits the office dream team, one employee decides to stop trying altogether. Work from home becomes gaming from home, and quiet quitting turns into full-blown digital escapism. A single "catch-up day" handles two weeks of tasks, while the rest of the time goes to swapping spreadsheets for controller batteries. The result? A shocking career twist that proves effort and visibility have officially divorced.  

At home he's playing Balatro, running Ironman grinds with friends, and losing entire days to new releases without a moment of guilt. But on office days, he transforms into the model employee: well-dressed, charming, available for small talk, and pretending to type like productivity itself is contagious. Management eats it up. Efficiency looks identical to engagement when no one's actually tracking outcomes.  

The irony lands in the form of a promotion. new title, more money, and a glowing reputation as one of the team's best and brightest. Nothing changed except the attitude. The less he cares, the more they love him. It's not fraud, exactly, just a flawless demonstration of how office culture runs on perception, not performance.