3 Tips For Hiding Your Computer Screen at Work

The easiest way to get any suspicious windows off your screen (and fast!) is to go straight to the desktop. On Windows PCs, the shortcut is "Windows Key" + D. On a Mac running OS X, just press the F11 key. Now, the only drawback here is that your boss might be wondering why you're just sitting there staring at your desktop. Pretend you're looking for a folder, or pick up the phone and start randomly dialing.

If you're going to be chatting or surfing non-work sites, make sure that you keep at least a couple of other work-related programs and applications open. This way you can quickly switch back to an open Word document or Excel spreadsheet when the boss's head suddenly pops over the cube wall. The best way to quickly toggle between open application windows on a PC is by holding down the Alt + Tab keys. On a Mac, it's the "Open Apple" + Tab keys.

Believe it or not, there are several programs available for download that'll instantly hide all of your open browser or application windows. These programs -- sometimes called a Boss Button -- can be configured to activate when the user presses certain keys or drags his cursor into a certain corner of the screen. What's nice about some of these programs is that you can tell them which applications to close and which to leave open in the event of an emergency. For example, if your boss walks up, you can leave open Excel and PowerPoint, but close AOL Instant Messenger, Limewire, iTunes and Second Life.

At the end of the day, of course, you're not really tricking anybody. If your boss suspects you of fooling around during work hours, all he has to do is ask your systems administrator to open a log of all your online activities. So if you're going to spend half the day tinkering with your fantasy baseball lineup, at least get your work done first. And who knows, your boss might have a boss button, too.