If your job requires a computer, we’re willing to bet you spend most of your downtime (okay, most of your work time) talking to friends on Gchat. Same, and at this point, most bosses probably get it (slash are doing it too). But for the sticklers among us, may we present these delightfully sneaky tricks?
DownLoad this plug-in
All hail the appropriately named PanicButton Chrome extension. Let it live in your toolbar, and hit that ish whenever your boss comes up behind you while you’re chatting. It’ll instantly hide all your open tabs – but also save them for easy re-access. After your supervisor peaces out, just click the button again, watch your Gchat tab pop back up, and resume your convos.
Go full-screen
Another way to protect the privacy of the innocent is to open a new web window super fast and use a shortcut to maximise it so that it takes up your whole screen (ctrl + cmd + F for Macs and F11 for PCs). The fresh page – on which you’ll be googling something work-related, of course – will block any chat tabs. And your boss will think you’re doing some hard-core research.
BUY a privacy shield
Protect against prying eyes with a privacy screen filter, which you can get for less than Dhs150 on Amazon. When you slip it over your monitor, only the person sitting directly in front of the screen (so, you) can see what you’re doing. Everyone else sees a blacked-out surface. If anyone asks, you got this to save your eyes from screen glare and harsh blue light. Which isn’t not true!
Enter Pro Mode
True story: Google Docs are the new group texts. Invite your friends to edit an ongoing Google Doc and ask everyone to type directly into the document. That way, it looks like you’re working on a super-important memo when you’re actually just recapping The Bachelor. Name it something ~professional~ like “To-Do List” or “Monthly Goals,” and anyone who sees it will be all, Wow, she’s so busy working on actual work!