The bench is both a lucky and unlucky place to end up. You don't have to work, but there's an expectation you'll be doing something - but nobody tells you what,

The bench is both a lucky and unlucky place to end up. You don't have to work, but there's an expectation you'll be doing something - but nobody tells you what, beyond "go upskill yourself". No guidance. There's an expectation that you'll be looking for roles, but there aren't any to be had, and reports to be made, though there is nothing to report on. It's like Kafka, drinking coffee, and sitting on an unexploded bomb rolled into one, stressful experience.