seat warmer

Definition

An employee who occupies a position without adding meaningful value—essentially a human placeholder who excels at looking busy while accomplishing nothing. They've mastered the art of organizational camouflage.

Example Usage

Craig's been a seat warmer in accounting for five years; nobody's sure what he actually does all day.

Origin

Mid-20th century workplace slang, comparing unproductive workers to devices that merely keep chairs warm

Fun Fact

A Gallup poll found that actively disengaged employees—the seat warmers of the world—cost U.S. companies up to $550 billion annually in lost productivity.

Source: Colloquial workplace slang

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