rubber room
n.— «Deatherage, a 31-year railroad veteran, and two other Burlington-Northern employees are paid for their time in what they call the “rubber room.” The firm calls it an alternative work location. The three have been reporting to work in the 2.5 by 3-metre room (8 by 10 feet) at the El Bandera motel in Yakima since Oct. 13, when Burlington-Northern sold a division that employed them as clerks.» —“Railway clerks get $100 a day to do nothing” Toronto Star (Canada) Dec. 3, 1986. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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When a teenager went a week without talking as part of a school project, he noticed a surprising side effect: Instead of rehearsing a response to what other people were saying to him, he was focused on listening — and feeling smarter as a result...