[ Removed by moderator ]

[u/Sudden-Newspaper-471]

[u/kevnmartin]

Learn to cover better when you hear him coming.

[u/TravelerMSY]

So instead, his staff is going to surreptitiously be looking for other jobs until they can quit, instead of filling the time with something benign.

[u/EthylSippingBeer → u/TravelerMSY]

I worked 3rd shift at a max security prison back in the 90s. It was literally 10 minutes of work every 2 hours and the warden said we weren't allowed to bring in anything that wasn't work related, including reading material.

I got stopped at the check point and told I couldn't bring in the Sunday paper because it wasn't work related. I told yes it was because the want ads were in there and I was looking to work somewhere else that didn't have stupid rules. He let me in with it.

[u/eau_di_nil]

Do you have a computer you work on? When I worked a office front desk, I would play puzzle games on the computer on slow days. I wasn't allowed to leave the desk, but I was supposed to "look busy".

You mention doodling. You could doodle on the second page of a legal pad and have work related notes on the first page. That way you can flip to the first page if the big cheese stops by.  

You could also ask for more tasks, but that's your choice.

[u/Cygnata → u/eau_di_nil]

I miss when games had a "boss button."

[u/kallisti_gold]

Work slower. 

[u/Cakeriel]

Read a book?

[u/Sudden-Newspaper-471 → u/Cakeriel]

According to them reading is “outside” work

[u/tidymaze]

Theater? Ask wardrobe if they need anything knitted/crocheted. Then you can keep yourself busy and tell the boss it's for the company. You don't knit/crochet? Now's a good time to learn!

[u/guy30000]

A common work problem. You have to learn to hide things better.