“Lazy Coworkers Get Paid As Much As You”: People Share 30 Honest Answers To What Employment Has Taught Them
Ever wished you knew something sooner? Something that would've made your life a tad easier, perhaps?
We toil away at our jobs for the bulk of our lives, and it's no big news what kind of effect it has on our well-being. A discussion recently arose online – that garnered a whopping 115K upvotes – about the biggest lessons folks ever learned throughout their careers. And although the observations listed below will not make your retirement age come faster, taking a thing or two into consideration could definitely help you feel a little more in control!
More info: Reddit
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The reward for good work is more work.
The only time it makes sense to go above and beyond is if you own your own business.
I saw this over and over again. A productive employee gets buried and burnt out while the slackers enjoyed a work-life balance and smokes with the Boss.
Do 1,000 tasks, and 999 of them are done perfectly, but guarantee the 1 that wasn’t perfect is the only task that will be talked about.
we had a very different, and vulgar, way of saying that where I used to work... but 100% true at any rate
Loyalty is expected but not reciprocated.
I was accused of stealing by the owner. Then I was expected to buy her a birthday gift,a week later. Nope
Toxic work environments do not change. Get out quickly.
I work in a very toxic environment that is thanks to just one person. When they were reported by numerous employees was told by the boss that they're retiring soon and it's cheaper to just wait it out. 19 more weeks. I hope I make it.
Always get the promotion or raise in writing. Never trust a manager's hand shake.
Nobody at work gives a s**t about your well-being. You have to be the one that looks out for yourself. Take the damn sick day and don’t feel bad about it. You got one life and trust once you die they’ll replace you before you’re even cold. Be happy.
That really isn't true. I've had a couple of bosses who were extremely thoughtful and considerate of me and my well-being - one to the extent of getting the company to pay for some counselling to help me understand why I got stressed in certain situations (which I now understand, and how to cope with them). Sadly, it's quite a low percentage of bosses, but I'd like to think as a manager that I took a significant interest in my staff as people.
One of the earliest lessons imparted to me by an older co-worker in one of my first jobs was: "Never get good at something you hate doing. Once you're good at it, they'll never let you do anything else."
80% of work is done by 20% of employees
Being a convincing bullshi***r is more important than being a competently talented.
See Elon Musk.
The biggest regret of my work life was assuming we were all playing by the same rules. I've been on my own since I was 17 and didn't get a lot of advice. Even at school, I would ask about internships and they never had an answer for me. So when I got my degree figured I'd start at the bottom and work my way up because that sounds logical. But that's not how it works. Silly me believed I couldn't apply for those higher paying jobs because I was going by what the ad asked for. Now I know- the higher ups at my company have never done the job I do and wouldn't know how if they tried. They started in the middle or higher. They just lied. Which is why they're always so happy- they've never had to be in the gutter like the rest of us and call us negative when we point out problems. My direct supervisor does not know how to do my job. How ridiculous is that? How can you be in charge of me if you don't know how to do the job I do? How can you improve systems if you don't know what they're for?
We had a deadline to turn in our month's worth of work. My wife had previously worked there, and advised me to get my work done ahead of the deadlines, but be secretive about it, and turn it in at the end of the month. Worked like a charm.
I am 78 years old and I learned decades ago that every one can be replaced, even the higher-ups.
if you leave earlier than the slow workers then you will be considered a lazy employee-regardless of output/efficiency/quality of work
The second they find out you know anything about computers, you are now IT for the entire department.
Most employers would engage in slavery in an instant if it became acceptable again. They want soooooo badly to have your work for free (most minimum wage/entry level jobs)
I often read that German employers are better than other because they treat their employees better. I always reply it's not the employers themselves that are better, it's German labour laws forcing them to be better. Put them on the US market and they will be just as bad as anyone else
You cannot get promoted if your performance is too good.
Work taught me that even if you report harassment by a coworker nothing will get done about it. I'm dealing with it right now and the guy keeps calling me a rat and threatening me.
Document harassment. Document reporting. And when nothing is done, take both sets of documentation to the labor board and state attorney general's office.
This year I asked for time off (no pay) and it was denied because it was too hard to replace me. So I gave my notice and said I’m willing to stay 2 months if I can get those two days off.
Took the time off, stayed two months. And they replaced me with 2 people lol. Two others left after I did.
“Sorry, you are too good of an employee for us to be kind to you.” The boss.
I've been working since I was 14. Now I'm Corporate America in various roles for over 2 decades. No one EVER says they regret not working harder, not doing more OT, or spending more time with their family. Do not give your personal time to your place of employment. I live by the "8 and skate" motto and LOVE detaching from this world. We literally spend more time with coworkers than our own fam.
Live to work or work to live?
Work to pay your bills. If you're expected to do more work, they need to pay for the time. Time and half on weekends and holidays! No exceptions, no excuses.!!
When starting any new job. Make sure you do the same amount of work as your coworkers. There’s nothing like a new over achieving employees to p**s off all their coworkers by showing them up. And the boss will expect more from you forever. Slow down and don’t blow the curve.
One of my "old timers" at my last job told me not to "work (my)self out of work." Best advice ever. I now perform at 80% capacity, still do slightly better than average and don't burn myself out if there's a crunch and I have to put in extra effort.
Once you have the job you no longer need to impress anyone so just do enough to not get fired
That depends on whether it's just a job, or there's a career path. If you want to get promoted, you have to stand out among your peers - primarily by doing what your boss wants.
when you're new, you notice the "highschool cliques". pretty embarrassing.
My wise Grandmother taught me that "high school never ends." Once you accept that, then you can deal with it like an adult. Thankful to her!
Lazy workers are the most efficient, they want to do as little as possible to get the same result.
You could fall over dead at work and the opening for your position will be posted the next day. If they decide to wait that long.
I work for a great company, I love working for this company. But even they won’t drag their feet in replacing me if something happens. In fact, I applied for my position before the person I replaced was officially fired.
Standard technique is to do work quickly then play games for the rest of the day
Or to do most of the work, then decide to go take a lunch break, then get seduced by the elegant exterior of a lunch place where the bread basket alone costs more than your car and order a six-course meal and tell yourself "It's fine, I'll have leftovers" but every portion is asparagus foam and barely feels like food so you go order Mcdonalds and break down in the parking lot wondering why you're stuck in a soulless corporate job before going back to the workplace and eating soggy chicken nuggets while you complete the rest of the work until you head home, another piece taken out of your soul.
Confidence, and even over confidence, gets you further than hard work does. Perception is everything, the work matters the least. At least in corporate jobs.
Also, being tall and masculine. I recently had a customer refuse to believe that I was the manager and insist that my trainee help him instead because he, "looks like he's the manager."
Closed mouths don’t get fed. Putting in the work? Don’t wait to be noticed. Bring that up every single chance you can and if it’s not getting you anywhere, jump ship.
Before you jump that ship, be sure you have another ship ,to jump into...just saying.
People who add value to a business are given the opportunity to add more value. Any business worth running is on the lookout for more people able to add more value.
Now if you’re working your a*s off without ever reaching for opportunities, it’s like revving a chainsaw without ever setting it to wood. Of course you’re not going to get ahead.
If you’re working your a*s off and that business is run by s**tbags eager to exploit you, that’s like reviving a chainsaw and setting it to a rock or a car or a chain link fence. You’re in the wrong place. Go find a place where your tools are recognized for their worth. And for the love of money don’t rage quit, having a job is the best way to get a job.
But if the desire is to complain to comfort yourself to make it through the day, you can do that too. But you’re gonna have a lot more s****y days and a lot more s**t to talk about the unfair reasons other people get ahead while you don’t.
I would say having the right skills at the right job at the right pay is like running a chainsaw through a pallet of butter. Satisfying. (Or jello.)
Note: this post originally had 35 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Work your wage. That's all. Your boss is making more money than you, let them work their wage, too. If you do something extra, put the highlights in an email to your boss, keep a copy in an email folder titled Accomplishments. When reviews come around, you're ready to write your own.
This list made me kinda sad. I can't imagine being in a profession I hated and clearly the people commenting here must in order to be this bitter. I work in healthcare and if we all have this "just do enough to not get fired" then patients suffer and potentially die. It's not acceptable! I absolutely love what I do because I see the rewards I see patients getting life saving tests and treatments and I see them get better when they come back for follow up's. I go home every night with a smile on my face because I know I'm truly helping make peoples lives better and longer. If you don't get this kind of joy from your work I sure hope you can find it.
LEARN TO SAY NO! It has taken me 20 years to feel confident and comfortable to say no where reasonable and jeebus it feels liberating. One recent example was, I was asked to run the footy tipping when I don't follow the style of footy in the state I live in. The Director began asking me by saying, 'because you're so organised and always seem to be on the ball, can you look after the footy tippping for this year?' My response was 'No, I don't follow the footy down here, so I'm not keen to run the tipping.' I suggested he ask one of the other office staff who do follow and know what they're doing, or look after it himself (he's a die hard fan and listens on the radio everyday.)
A number of these are pretty cynical, and probably American. I'm not saying that they are not things to consider, but there are no hard and fast rules here. I went above and beyond, I got promoted. I got extra bonus because the net promoter score was higher than forecast for the target, even though the company profits were tight. I get my manager checking on me if I work outside of my hours, encouraging me to log off if I don't need to be there, or to take the time back if I do.
Most of these are terrible advice basically encouraging people to accept being mediocre at a mediocre job. I started out as a homeless teenager, working illegally under that table as a dishwasher at a restaurant I never even got formally hired at. Just saw the sign, walking in during the lunch rush, and started working when nobody had time to talk to me. I worked my a*s off at every job I had, from grocery store stocker to food processing plant worker, to fish gutter, to non profit intern, and got every letter of recommendation I could gather, every reference I could gain, and made every connection I could no matter how seemingly insignificant. More importantly, I learned every skill anyone was willing to teach me. I did that s**t with a positive attitude no matter what. Out of all the interviews I've done in 20 years of working, only one time did I not get the job in interviewed for. I got every raise I asked for, not always as much as I wanted, but I was never turned down flat, and every promotion I sought out, because I was always doing 110%. My coworkers typically liked me, because I was always willing to chip in and help them, particularly if it meant learning new skills from them, and I showed my appreciation. When I got injured and was unable to work, I got years of extra support from people I'd worked with and for over the years, and offers to find something I could do when I was able to start working again. I loved the field and job I ended up in. I mean yeah, don't settle, but if a job isn't ideal, kick a*s at it anyway while you search for the next thing. Always be eager to learn, most people are more than happy to teach you what they do and share their skill set. I was an obviously queer young black female with no college or even highschool diploma or even a driver's license when I started out, literally living out of my backpack anywhere i could crash cheap or free. So my story isn't blind privilege speaking assuming those with less can do the same. I had the s**t end of most sticks when it came to privilege, and some of my best memories were awesome jobs I worked and great people I met along the way. You gotta be willing to work twice as hard as those around you sometimes, particularly if you're forging an unconventional path. And moaning woe is me over it all the time is just gonna make you feel worse, and everyone will pick up on your negativity. Bosses will almost always value employees with positive outlooks who uplift the people around them instead of moping and complaining and treating the boring and mundane bits like drudgery all the time.
Another thing, standing out even at jobs you know are temporary is important because when someone remembers you really positively from 15 years ago when they're called as a reference that really says something to potential employers.
Load More Replies... Employers should check to see if a prospective hire has ever posted "oNlY wOrK aS hArD aS yOu NeEd To NoT gEt FiReD!" on boredpanda. This could be like a secondary background check.
What the heck is this??!! An entire article on being lazy? Does no one have any self-worth anymore? Do well because it feels good. Working to be the laziest least helpful person you can be feels like c**p.
Lot of whining here and most people doing it wrong. Here’s reality - work smarter, not harder. Find out what your boss wants you to do and do that. Even better, find out what your boss’s boss wants and do that. Be positive and enthusiastic about what they want you to be enthusiastic about. Make sure your performance is always in the top half of the team. Ensure you are perceived as a hard worker and open to feedback. Toxic environment? Start looking for a new job. Note that none of this includes being worked to death, constantly available or taking any c**p.
Go to school or otherwise gain a skill so you can stop having a job and have a profession instead. I know that it isn't easy, but after finishing my masters degree and starting my current job, I don't have to deal with most of this BS. I won't pretend it's perfect but I have opportunity for growth, some control over my day-to-day, actual rewarding work.
Work your wage. That's all. Your boss is making more money than you, let them work their wage, too. If you do something extra, put the highlights in an email to your boss, keep a copy in an email folder titled Accomplishments. When reviews come around, you're ready to write your own.
This list made me kinda sad. I can't imagine being in a profession I hated and clearly the people commenting here must in order to be this bitter. I work in healthcare and if we all have this "just do enough to not get fired" then patients suffer and potentially die. It's not acceptable! I absolutely love what I do because I see the rewards I see patients getting life saving tests and treatments and I see them get better when they come back for follow up's. I go home every night with a smile on my face because I know I'm truly helping make peoples lives better and longer. If you don't get this kind of joy from your work I sure hope you can find it.
LEARN TO SAY NO! It has taken me 20 years to feel confident and comfortable to say no where reasonable and jeebus it feels liberating. One recent example was, I was asked to run the footy tipping when I don't follow the style of footy in the state I live in. The Director began asking me by saying, 'because you're so organised and always seem to be on the ball, can you look after the footy tippping for this year?' My response was 'No, I don't follow the footy down here, so I'm not keen to run the tipping.' I suggested he ask one of the other office staff who do follow and know what they're doing, or look after it himself (he's a die hard fan and listens on the radio everyday.)
A number of these are pretty cynical, and probably American. I'm not saying that they are not things to consider, but there are no hard and fast rules here. I went above and beyond, I got promoted. I got extra bonus because the net promoter score was higher than forecast for the target, even though the company profits were tight. I get my manager checking on me if I work outside of my hours, encouraging me to log off if I don't need to be there, or to take the time back if I do.
Most of these are terrible advice basically encouraging people to accept being mediocre at a mediocre job. I started out as a homeless teenager, working illegally under that table as a dishwasher at a restaurant I never even got formally hired at. Just saw the sign, walking in during the lunch rush, and started working when nobody had time to talk to me. I worked my a*s off at every job I had, from grocery store stocker to food processing plant worker, to fish gutter, to non profit intern, and got every letter of recommendation I could gather, every reference I could gain, and made every connection I could no matter how seemingly insignificant. More importantly, I learned every skill anyone was willing to teach me. I did that s**t with a positive attitude no matter what. Out of all the interviews I've done in 20 years of working, only one time did I not get the job in interviewed for. I got every raise I asked for, not always as much as I wanted, but I was never turned down flat, and every promotion I sought out, because I was always doing 110%. My coworkers typically liked me, because I was always willing to chip in and help them, particularly if it meant learning new skills from them, and I showed my appreciation. When I got injured and was unable to work, I got years of extra support from people I'd worked with and for over the years, and offers to find something I could do when I was able to start working again. I loved the field and job I ended up in. I mean yeah, don't settle, but if a job isn't ideal, kick a*s at it anyway while you search for the next thing. Always be eager to learn, most people are more than happy to teach you what they do and share their skill set. I was an obviously queer young black female with no college or even highschool diploma or even a driver's license when I started out, literally living out of my backpack anywhere i could crash cheap or free. So my story isn't blind privilege speaking assuming those with less can do the same. I had the s**t end of most sticks when it came to privilege, and some of my best memories were awesome jobs I worked and great people I met along the way. You gotta be willing to work twice as hard as those around you sometimes, particularly if you're forging an unconventional path. And moaning woe is me over it all the time is just gonna make you feel worse, and everyone will pick up on your negativity. Bosses will almost always value employees with positive outlooks who uplift the people around them instead of moping and complaining and treating the boring and mundane bits like drudgery all the time.
Another thing, standing out even at jobs you know are temporary is important because when someone remembers you really positively from 15 years ago when they're called as a reference that really says something to potential employers.
Load More Replies... Employers should check to see if a prospective hire has ever posted "oNlY wOrK aS hArD aS yOu NeEd To NoT gEt FiReD!" on boredpanda. This could be like a secondary background check.
What the heck is this??!! An entire article on being lazy? Does no one have any self-worth anymore? Do well because it feels good. Working to be the laziest least helpful person you can be feels like c**p.
Lot of whining here and most people doing it wrong. Here’s reality - work smarter, not harder. Find out what your boss wants you to do and do that. Even better, find out what your boss’s boss wants and do that. Be positive and enthusiastic about what they want you to be enthusiastic about. Make sure your performance is always in the top half of the team. Ensure you are perceived as a hard worker and open to feedback. Toxic environment? Start looking for a new job. Note that none of this includes being worked to death, constantly available or taking any c**p.
Go to school or otherwise gain a skill so you can stop having a job and have a profession instead. I know that it isn't easy, but after finishing my masters degree and starting my current job, I don't have to deal with most of this BS. I won't pretend it's perfect but I have opportunity for growth, some control over my day-to-day, actual rewarding work.
