make-work
Employment without purpose
Make-work is work created primarily to keep people busy rather than to accomplish something useful.
It often appears in discussions of bureaucracy or government programs: The new regulations created make-work for compliance officers.
The term carries a dismissive tone, suggesting the activity has no real purpose beyond justifying employment or filling time.
Administrative written tasks
- proceduresSet methods for tasks
- formsVarieties or documents
- documentationWritten proof or instructions
- filingStoring documents systematically
clerical · administrative · compliance · regulations · formality · protocol · rubber-stamping · box-ticking
Lacking any purpose
- tasksUnits of work
- fillerSubstance closing gaps
- unproductiveFailing to achieve results
- unnecessaryNot essential or required
perfunctory · redundant · paper-pushing · time-wasting · padding · manufactured · contrived · artificial
Surplus of workers
- featherbeddingMandated workforce inflation
- patronageSupporter's financial backing
- sinecurePaid position requiring nothing
- workfareBenefits requiring labor
programs · schemes · relief · stimulus · positions · placements · assignments · hiring
paperwork
Administrative written tasks
- proceduresSet methods for tasks
- formsVarieties or documents
- documentationWritten proof or instructions
filing · clerical · administrative · compliance · regulations · formality · protocol · rubber-stamping · box-ticking · officiousness
pointless
Lacking any purpose
- tasksUnits of work
- fillerSubstance closing gaps
- unproductiveFailing to achieve results
unnecessary · perfunctory · redundant · paper-pushing · time-wasting · padding · manufactured · contrived · artificial · fabricated
overstaffing
Surplus of workers
- featherbeddingMandated workforce inflation
- patronageSupporter's financial backing
- sinecurePaid position requiring nothing
workfare · programs · schemes · relief · stimulus · positions · placements · assignments · hiring · staffing
- workplace inefficiencybusywork, duplication, overlap, rework, redundancy
- busyworkbusywork, grunt work, drudgery, tedium, scut work
- futilefutile, useless, pointless, fruitless, vain
- wastetrash, garbage, rubbish, refuse, debris
- futilityfutile, futility, in vain, pointlessness, vain
- workplace wastewaste, inefficiency, redundancy, bloat, excess
make-workmeaningful work
Labor with significance
calling · vocation · skilled labor · craft
make-workproductive labor
Work that creates goods
value creation · creative work · wealth creation · skilled labor · innovation
maker, making, remake, makeshift, made-up, peacemaker, makings, homemaker, unmake