BREAKING: Local Worker Officially Taps Out of 2025 After Scheduling Two Meetings at Once - Attends Neither, Finds Peace on the Couch.

Marina SeeVee | Careers Correspondentn | Sutherland Shire Gazette

26 November 2026

In a groundbreaking act of self-preservation, a local remote worker has reportedly declared an early end to their participation in 2025 after discovering two mandatory Teams meetings booked at the exact same time - and simply opting out of both.

The individual, who asked to remain anonymous “in case HR develops forensic calendar-analysis tools,” said the decision came after weeks of growing fatigue, relentless diary collisions, and the creeping suspicion that time has lost all meaning.

“It was 10:58am,” they told the Gazette. “I realised I had a strategy sync and a BAU huddle scheduled simultaneously. Instead of choosing, I cited each meeting as the reason I couldn’t attend the other — then closed my laptop and lay very still for one beautiful hour.”

Experts say this manoeuvre, unofficially dubbed a Double-Meeting Deflection, represents a new frontier in white-collar self-care.

“It’s genius,” said organisational psychologist Dr. Priya Carver. “The corporate calendar has become so overpopulated that workers are now forced to use meetings as shields against other meetings. It’s the circle of life.”

The worker admits they spent their reclaimed hour horizontal on the lounge, staring at the ceiling fan and contemplating nothing. “No emails. No Teams pings. No one asking me to ‘jump on a quick call.’ I felt… alive.”

Colleagues describe the move as “bold,” “dangerous,” and “something we’d all do if we weren’t cowards.” One teammate reported feeling “deep envy” after accidentally attending both clashing calls and being assigned action items in each.

Local residents say the incident reflects a broader trend of Shire workers quietly withdrawing from the year altogether. With December approaching and calendars fracturing under the weight of end-of-year chaos, many are now emotionally tapping out, physically present only for caffeine and payroll.

When asked whether they plan to re-engage with 2025 at any point, the worker shook their head.

“No. I’m done. If anyone needs me, I’ll be unavailable — because of the other meeting.”

Worker taps out of 2025