For some remote workers, a green dot on Microsoft Teams can feel like more than a status update. In a now-deleted Reddit antiwork discussion, users described ways to avoid appearing Away: replaying a meeting recording, blaming a VPN glitch for going offline and scheduling a text to make it look as if they were still working. The comments point to a workplace tension: when managers treat an app’s presence indicator as a measure of productivity, workers may feel pressure to manage the signal as well as their work.
One suggestion to replay recordings received 503 upvotes in the thread, while a worker who said VPN glitches made them appear offline wrote that “no one harasses me then.” A reply to the VPN comment suggested sending a scheduled text to make it look as if the person was still working. The reply had 97 upvotes. At least one user was skeptical of the meeting-recording suggestion, replying: “This never works for me” Mouse movers drew several responses, one commenter called a device “completely separate from the computer itself” an “invaluable accessory” for workers worried about bosses watching their Teams status.
The comment had 205 upvotes. Another commenter warned that an employer’s IT staff could identify a jiggler plugged into a computer. Other users offered lower-tech approaches.
Another joked that their mouse “always slowly gravitates downward.” One user said they manually set Teams to Away or “appear offline,” adding that no one had challenged them because their work was getting done. Another user said they use a PowerShell script to periodically send and then undo a Scroll Lock input, though the post did not establish whether the method works reliably or whether an employer could detect it. The thread reflected frustration with workplace monitoring more broadly.
The original poster, /u/endmaga2028, described an “observation blitz” at their workplace, where managers watched and critiqued employees. The poster said someone put the raw comments into Copilot for a summary, calling its output “useless drivel” that could not provide meaningful feedback to workers. Newsweek reviewed the post before it was deleted and has reached out to the poster, Microsoft, Emory Law professor Ifeoma Ajunwa and employment attorney Sean P.
The Reddit comments echo earlier attempts to avoid an Away status. A 2022 report covered TikTok creator Nate’s tip: start a Teams meeting alone, then switch the status from “In a call” to “Available.” “Now you have a green dot, and you won’t go idle,” he said. Nate advised viewers, “Don’t do it all day long ... c’mon guys,” warning that the tactic could be abused if overused.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
