12 Things Everyone Acts Like They Care About at Work (But Don't Really)

We've all been there. You just got a new job, and you're going over your benefits with HR. You're feeling relieved that you can stop living paycheck to paycheck with a shiny new salary.

The manager boasts about team lunches, free tote bags, and volunteer Fridays. And although you couldn't care less about these extra offerings, you pretend to be enthused. In reality, you're just ready to clock out.

This is often a universal experience. From company surveys to work happy hour, here are 12 things that employees wish they didn't have to spend time on.

These activities might seem like a great addition to the workday. Getting paid to do trust falls? What a deal! Departmental managers plan team-building activities to build trust and encourage friendships on the team.

But most employees secretly hate icebreakers and team-building exercises. It can be unnerving to put yourself out there during one, and if you're an introvert, it could create a lot of anxiety.

We've all experienced the dreaded company survey. They're usually sent to receive feedback and make adjustments to company policies, but most employees find them to be cumbersome. They take valuable time from the workday, and some employers won't even make changes when surveys show that employees are unhappy.

Volunteer days can switch up a monotonous work week, but most employees aren't thrilled to see them on the calendar. These activities are organized to give back to the community and help employees collaborate on meaningful work, but they often come with hard work and awkward interactions.

Free pens can be nice at orientation, but company swag can get annoying, especially if it isn't useful. Maybe you've received tote bags, pens, clips, and magnets that market the brand in hopes of making employees feel included. But in the long run, employees aren't huge fans of these trivial items that simply add to their desk clutter.

Here's another universal experience: you attend a meeting that could have been summed up in an email. Some regular planning meetings are necessary to keep organized, but others are a waste of time.

Employees might act like they appreciate the sentiment of these meetings, but most people aren't a fan of wasting valuable work time to iron out details that could have been sent in an email.

If you work in a high-intensity environment, you probably look forward to relaxing after work. And often, employers encourage a work happy hour in hopes that coworkers will mingle.

Although some people enjoy a little post-work socialization, most of us are dead tired after a long day and just want to head home.

In this day and age, many companies have adopted a hybrid policy regarding working from home or in the office. Although some workers might appear to "love" spending every day in the office, in reality, most don't. And even those who come in once or twice a week may not be as enthusiastic about it as they say they are.

The flexibility of working from home appeals to most employees, and they really don't care about commuting to the office every day.

Getting a company-wide email is okay every once in a while, but if your company is sending them constantly, it can clog up your inbox. Even if you see coworkers replying with cheery responses, they might not appreciate the mass emails as much as you think.

Dressing professionally is nice for a while, but it can get monotonous. Most employees long for casual Fridays or lax dress codes, and although some general dress code guidelines are helpful, a few days off from dressing professionally can go a long way.

An all-expense-paid work trip? Sounds like a dream. But it's not always what it seems. While it can be nice to take a trip that bleeds into your weekend every once in a while, most employees are over it. Sometimes, they can take away valuable relaxation and family time, and can also lead to fatigue.

Maybe you had to take a personality test when you were hired. Or perhaps your workplace is requiring employees to take a test to get to know themselves and their team better. Either way, these tests can be time-consuming. Most people don't enjoy the questionnaires that accompany the tests, and the results can be confusing as well.

You might act like you're excited for your yearly review, but the truth is that it's unnerving. Most people aren't a fan of regular employee reviews, even though they're set in place to help clarify roles and track employee performance.

We're all pretending (at least a little bit) when we're at work. To be more professional, to be more put together, to be more awake than we feel. Maybe you applied for a management position to get a higher salary and lower your financial stress, and feel you have to rise to the occasion.

And if you're an employer yourself, watch out for these 13 workplace happenings. Some employees might not enjoy them, even though they may pretend to.