Visible spare capacity invites more work, so workers conceal their slack.

Evidence

Workers recognize that any sign that they are not working to full capacity will be greeted with additional assignments, as there are always additional assignments to be made. Thus there is no incentive to complete an inspec- tion or an interview quickly, because the time liberated by efficiency will be reassigned to conduct another inspection or interview. — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy, 926

Categorization

• QUESTION: Does this visibility penalty explain why caseload data understates true capacity, and how would that bias stereotype-driven discretionary decisions?
• XREF: connects to: Street-level workers sacrifice pay to protect their ranks and workload. — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of…, 1533; Street-level workers hold individual and collective control over their working rules — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of…, 1378

Broader Connections

• Street-level workers sacrifice pay to protect their ranks and workload. #expands (0.85) — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy, 1533
• Street-level workers hold individual and collective control over their working rules #exemplifies (0.80) — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy, 1378