A woman works at a "pretend-to-work" office in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province on August 7, 2025. Photo: VCG

In some cities such as Beijing and Shanghai in China, "pretend-to-work" offices are drawing freelancers, job seekers, and entrepreneurs who pay not just for a desk but for structure, social presence, and discipline. Beyond the parody of "buying work," these spaces reveal modern workers' need for ritual, order, and community, though some ventures risk drifting into legal gray zones.

These "pretend-to-work companies" spaces come fully equipped with air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, printers and meeting rooms. Fees are modest: some as low as 9.9 yuan ($1.38) a day. Higher-end packages, around 40 yuan daily, even include lunch and unlimited snacks, according to Guang Ming Daily.

Not everyone who rents a desk there is unemployed. Users include temporarily jobless individuals, self-media operators, online vendors, designers, freelancers, and even entrepreneurs. By paying to "go to work," they aren't simply buying a desk, they are purchasing the ritual of working life.

That ritual comes from being in an environment where time feels structured, behavior is regulated, and people dress appropriately, but also from the experience of being around others. 

In effect, they are paying for rhythm, gentle social pressure, and the order of shared space. Many find themselves less productive when working from home. Specific environments, it turns out, can help trigger self-regulation. In this sense, "pretend-to-work companies" meet a real psychological and practical need, said the report.

This suggests that, instead of dismissing the phenomenon as "paying to work," society might better ask how to provide more diverse services: career support, networking opportunities, and psychological adjustment tools to help people through professional transitions and adapt to increasingly varied work styles.

However, caution is warranted. Some "pretend-to-work companies" reportedly offer questionable services such as "fake social security contributions," "fabricated internship certificates," or "manufactured payroll records." operators are reminded that they must manage participants responsibly to avoid crossing into illegal activity, according to the report.

Global Times