Person Works “Too Efficiently,” Gets In Trouble For “Time Theft”
Interview With Author
There are plenty of reasons why you might get in trouble at work. Like not actually doing your job. Spending far too much time gossiping at the water cooler with your colleagues. Drinking all the coffee. And letting a bunch of cuddly alpacas into the office. Though, on second thought, that last part might lead to a promotion. However, one thing that many of us don’t think of that might draw the ire of our managers is… working well. Far too well, according to some bosses.
Imgurian Oldfishnewfish vented about getting in trouble at work for being “too efficient at their job.” According to the internet user, whose post went viral on Imgur, their boss got complaints about them for finishing all of their work tasks too early. This might be a problem if their work is sloppy or full of mistakes, however, the exact opposite is true: their work is error-free.
According to the worker’s boss, who accused them of “time theft,” they should be spending as much time doing their tasks as their coworkers. Read on for the full story and for the advice that others gave the Imgurian.
Bored Panda reached out to Imgur user Oldfishnewfish about their viral post and they were kind enough to answer a few of my questions about why some managers want to punish their overly efficient employees. “I believe that the reprimand stems from a dated belief that ‘busy work’ is productive work,” they told me.
They pondered what kind of understanding could potentially convince managers to change their perspectives and move away from the mindset that just because something’s been done a certain way for years doesn’t automatically make it good. “Although there may be systems or processes that have been in place for years, allowing your employees the ability to be innovative and work within their own abilities not only increases morale, it would also increase productivity,” they said.
An Imgur user vented about the fact that their boss and colleagues don’t like it that they work “too efficiently”
Image credits: oldfishnewfish
Here’s the full story
According to the Imgur user, the media has been portraying a work shortage for years, so some employees might have an inaccurate understanding that there’s a surplus of open positions in some sectors of the industry. “Fortunately, I have never been short of work or have had to settle for toxic or detrimental work environments. I used to work in hospitality, then finance, then health care,” Oldfishnewfish told Bored Panda that they’ve tried a broad variety of jobs.
“Being a millennial, I have never felt personally indebted to an employer and have always been an advocate for a healthy work-life balance,” they said that we should strive to have clear boundaries between our personal and professional lives.
The Imgurian thinks that some of their colleagues might also share the ‘busy work’ mindest that their boss does. “They have found a method of working that works for them personally—working at a pace to remain busy all day, while still completing their duties. I don’t believe that it’s a matter of organization or fear of consequence, but rather, if they complete their duties within the expected time frame, they won’t have the time or be expected to complete additional duties.”
The Imgur user summed everything up perfectly in their post when they said: “If it’s done well, why does it matter how long it takes?” Some of you Pandas might relate to this. There are managers out there who believe that certain tasks must take a specific amount of time to complete, otherwise they think you might be cutting corners or not putting enough heart and soul into everything.
However, Oldfishnewfish stresses that, in their opinion, getting organized is very important. If you focus, you can get your work done far quicker. Being motivated helps, too. And if you’re passionate about your job (perhaps feeling that you’re making a world of a difference), you’ll naturally work quicker, better.
Unfortunately, some people’s contracts state that you’re paid for the number of hours you work, so if you finish things up quickly and don’t take on any extra work, you might be seen as wasting the company’s time. So some employees naturally learn to either work slower or to never ever show that they’re done with work sooner than everyone else.
So I propose a theory: some of Oldfishnewfish’s colleagues might actually work slower, but odds are that some of them work as efficiently as the Imgurian, but simply don’t advertise this, knowing what their boss is like.
Fast Company writes that efficiency might actually hurt your chances of getting promoted. What matters isn’t just actually doing your job; you have to build genuine relationships, too. In short, you want to become someone whom your colleagues trust, value, and respect. There’s another side to this as well. Your boss might not actually know all about how efficiently you work and the high quality that you bring to the table… unless you tell them. That’s why regular check-ins are vital. By keeping your superiors in the loop about your achievements, you ensure that you’re not forgotten.
Just yesterday, I spoke to financial expert Sam Dogen, who founded the Financial Samurai blog, who told me the current job climate is actually very advantageous to anyone who wants better work conditions or is looking to switch jobs. In other words, though we might have exceptions to the rule, arguably, workers have more leverage than before the pandemic.
“Since the job market is now very hot, employees have more options and more leverage. If the workplace environment doesn’t improve after you bring up an issue, then most definitely look for a better fit elsewhere. Job hoppers are getting paid healthy premiums in this market,” the expert told Bored Panda.
Sam also said that we should be taking note of when our bosses and colleagues are resting and working hard throughout the year. We should try to adapt our own tempo to match theirs so that we don’t burn out and know when to push hard. For instance, if your boss is taking time off during Christmas, so should you without feeling guilty about it and to avoid burnout.
“The best time to actually unwind is when your co-workers and your bosses unwind. That means during Christmas and other major holidays. Your boss will be busy spending time with their family and won’t notice your absence as much. Another good time to take a break is the period right after year-end bonuses are decided,” he told me.
“Generally, 1Q is the busiest and most important time of the year. The more you can recharge during the winter holidays, the stronger you can come back and make things count when they count the most!”
Here’s some advice that other Imgurians gave the worker
61Kviews
Share on Facebook
Two separate managers in the past (at the same job) told me I need to work slower and pad my timesheet. I told them both it was dishonest, and that I worked whatever pace I worked, and that was that. I eventually got fired because my timesheets weren't 'productive' enough, even though I reportedly always did an excellent job and the clients were completely satisfied. Dishonesty pays, I guess.
As a self-sabotaging perfectionist, I tend to be a quick, methodical, fastidious worker as well. It's gotten me promotions, sure. But more often, it just gets me more and more work. Everyone brings the important work to me because they know it will get done right and in time. That's where the self sabotage comes in. I get paid well enough as one employee, but I'm doing the jobs of 3 to 4 people. Clearly, the slowpokes are the cleverest in this scenario, because I can't even vacation these days, I have so much backwork.
I'd fully rat on the other employees, just "oh, everyone works this fast, everyone else just spends most of their time on social media and switches the screen when you get near." If they're going to use the others' work to throw me under the bus, I'll take the whole place down with me.
This is my entire dislike of in-person hourly work in a nutshell. I have zero interest in buddying up to coworkers or bosses, or in killing time at work - I'd rather be anywhere else. Give me paid by productivity any day! Managers pretend pay and promotion are about efficiency, quality, and work ethic, really it's a neverending popularity and attendance contest.
Put your resume out, OP. Find a better job. Ironically, these are probably the same people that parrot all the buzzwords and catchphrases. You are LITERALLY working smarter, not harder, and they are giving you s**t for it. Look for employment elsewhere (you shouldn't have any problem getting it), leave, and let the place implode.
Sounds like the "time theft" happening is from everyone else. I once had a coworker come up to me and tell me to slow down because I was making everyone "look bad"...uuhhh they're making themselves look bad tbh. I now work for myself. No complaints!
Yes lots of workplaces rebel against this because they don't want their workers to leave early and they Don't want to recognise their efficiency because it would open them up to a promotion
That last comment is spot on. I was told multiple times at the USPS that I was working too fast.
And this is why delivery and messenger services such as FedEx, and UPS became so popular. But thank you very much for being one of the efficient workers. If only all employees took pride in themselves and their work.
Load More Replies...
I do this all the time. I can do in a day what my peers do in a week. I keep that to myself and use my extra time to develop new ideas and projects that benefit my boss. It works for me because I'm creative so I am always developing new systems to be more efficient on the drudgery so I have more time to do the creative stuff I like. Yes, I make my coworkers look bad but no one can really say anything. Any of them could do it too if they really wanted to. My boss once asked me to show them my system and I did - I even made a website with step by step instructions and pictures - but not one of them uses it. I can only assume they like spending all day doing drudgery work.
Did this, done that, i was taken by different manager who doesn't care how much time it takes till I get it done. Any other manager would ruin me the way you described indeed. Find better job or apply for job in leaders. With your results and accuracy I see no reason why you shouldn't succeed.
This guy is in the wrong job. I used to be like that. And now I am a process analyst and optimise processes for a fantastic salary. Embrace that love of efficiency. It's a goldmine! 😁❤️
When one has owned their own Business in the past you have to be "efficient" in Keeping your own Acct. Books Straight, paying Business Bills on time, plus your Own Personal Ones.... Mortgage, Insurances, Utilities etc. and keep a FICO Score of 800+ This one Company I worked for didn't like me doing things in a better, faster way .... so I was let go when others places said I was "Superior" in my job ?????????? No logic there !!!!!!!!!!
I learned early on in my career, the "more established" services companies make more money off clients, simply by being inefficient. Throw in a lot of bureaucratic crap like status update meetings, risk assessments, consensus from respective bosses and hardly any work gets done. But the clients get to see pretty presentation slides on why hardly any work gets done.
Unbelievable. Don't sink to a level beneath you of being petty, or vengeful. You are clearly an effective and efficient employee. Stay honorable. Look for another job/career that will appreciate and respect you. You will be better off, and much happier. You truly deserve better.
I have had this happen at a job before I was temporarily replacing a coworker who worked back of house at a casino cleaning the kitchens. Well her, another lady and my supervisor all finish for first break, lunch and last break all at the same time to get to go together. I was told during the first week maybe every couple hours I was going too fast and I wouldn't have enough to do later... finally after a while they got over it and let me go on the floor to clean.. where I got in trouble for looking too young. I was told to stop picking up the empty alcohol bottles because I wasn't 21 yet. Well the beverage server through a fit and got upset that I was no longer doing her job anymore and complained so it would constantly flip flop. People just need to shut the f**k up and let people do their jobs as long as it is being done correct.
This is such a fn load of bullshit. I can't stand places like that. No, the problem isn't the one getting their work done more efficiently, it's the ones who aren't. They should be talked to, and also shamed and reprimanded for reporting the coworker in the first place. This is one of the problems of the corporate mindset and society that we've built. If you actually work people get fn jealous because they're lazy, you're shamed for doing good or being too efficient or having actual goals, etc etc. Among many other ignorant, counter productive practices. Fck Corporate America and the world. We need a different emphasis while work becomes just that again, not life.
Almost this exact same thing happened to me while working as a credit controller for an international pizza company. On my initial hiring, I was put on a 3 month probation period (fairly standard where I live). Basically, within that 3 month period, I wasn't entitled to the same level of company benefits as others and would get a pay increase upon a successful probation period. After the 3 months were up, I was called into a meeting with the credit control manager and the accounts manager. They told me they were extending my probation by another 3 months. Basically, I was completing twice the work of the other controllers and was reducing my accounts due period too fast. In 3 months, my 120 days overdue list was almost zero and my 90 and 60 days overdue had been halved. Their argument was that they felt they didn't have enough work to keep me occupied full time so they wanted to look for other work for me. So, I was punished for being too good at my job!
Ive been accused of time theft at a place used to work at, we were always very short handed and people would constantly not show up ( this was a doggy daycare where the groups where our all day long.) So I would have to on more then one occasion have to skip my lunch so that the group would not be left unattended. And turn an a few nights I was allowed to leave 30min early ( lunch was 30 min on an 8 hr day) well one day my boss tells me that I have been stealing time and she will go into my time clock and adjust my hours accordingly. I'm like huh, you are the one requesting me to skip lunch because you don't have enough staff. But okay if you say so. Needless to say I was not there much longer after that.
The first comment got it right. Just reduce the speed of your output - not the speed of your actual work. Sit on it ... wait a bit ... someone asks, "No, not done yet, still waiting for info from XY" ... My current job is a bit like this - we make machinery that is, in this way, each time built as a one-off. There often are things coming to customer's mind late, things done in a certain way because it worked a few times before, but then changed when more info rolls in, the stuff gets more detailed, reevaluated (like structural reinforcements get corrected often, or safety measures - we're in an explosive, powderous environment here, so this is quite important to avoid causing harm). I often sit an wait for info to arrive at my desk, and then, pressure's up again, get that stuff included as fast as you can, just to get it back again with something someone decided that should have been decided a long time before.
Slow down, maybe go online and kill some time in between. If that’s what they want then give them what they want, you still get paid.
I feel this... and different people get different reactions. That whole write up there of 'building relationships'? True. And depending on who you are... much more difficult for some. One job, sure, I was efficient, clients liked me, asked for me by name, etc. This just made this other co-worker angry, because I was "making her look bad" becaaauuuse... it's aaall about... her.... and she was bffs with the manager... the manager who is/was that pseudo-woke type - basically they only made 'good connections' with white people - everyone else was *at best* given a 'pat on the head for being a good boy!!!" So I was absolutely screwed.
That manager has too much time on her hands. If she's going to micromanage one person while a group of others whine...she doesn't recognize it when she's being manipulated and gaslit (she also has a plantation mind-set). There's a disconnect here that is too deep to overcome in the lifespan of a single cohort and massively-under-talented manager - you will have to leave before it becomes even more toxic.
1/3 I worked at a printing and reprographic company reproducing art works of well known and famous artists where they would sign certificates of authenticity. I was hired for the night shift as the work was backing up and the supply could not meet with demand. We supplied galleries as well so that when the original was taken for cleaning, the replica was put in its place until it was returned. I found the problem was the faults in the printers and the fact they had to bring an engineer from Belgium to the UK, put him in a hotel for 2 nights just so he can replace a small part. Something about a contract saying major repairs could only be done by the printer company. We had to pay him by the hour from when he left his office until he returned to his office and that was 72 hours all said and done. Very expensive. The engineer wasn't happy as he missed his family and after 8 years had only had major repair and that was the power supply. Most of the time it was a blocked nozzle
2/3 or a misalignment. I noticed a pattern. I was working alone with no interuptions so I would focus on the fine details of the 6 monster printers. As I went through I started writing down the faults and created a simple flow chart and found I could do the simple tasks myself. The amount of times the engineer came out reduced quite a lot. I then created a fault reporting sheet and job log. For example 200 print outs and every 5th one would see the red pigment drift a hundredth of a millimeter to the left and slightly larger red application causing a minor blush. Armed with the log and fault report I would call the engineer and tell him what was wrong and he spent 20 minutes walking me through a nozzle clean and re-alignment. Eventually I had everything set up so the engineer would go through a quick checklist over the phone instead of "Its going redder" to see if he needed to be there. I wrote out a general mainainance book for simple repairs that can be done by the operator.
Load More Replies... Two separate managers in the past (at the same job) told me I need to work slower and pad my timesheet. I told them both it was dishonest, and that I worked whatever pace I worked, and that was that. I eventually got fired because my timesheets weren't 'productive' enough, even though I reportedly always did an excellent job and the clients were completely satisfied. Dishonesty pays, I guess.
As a self-sabotaging perfectionist, I tend to be a quick, methodical, fastidious worker as well. It's gotten me promotions, sure. But more often, it just gets me more and more work. Everyone brings the important work to me because they know it will get done right and in time. That's where the self sabotage comes in. I get paid well enough as one employee, but I'm doing the jobs of 3 to 4 people. Clearly, the slowpokes are the cleverest in this scenario, because I can't even vacation these days, I have so much backwork.
I'd fully rat on the other employees, just "oh, everyone works this fast, everyone else just spends most of their time on social media and switches the screen when you get near." If they're going to use the others' work to throw me under the bus, I'll take the whole place down with me.
This is my entire dislike of in-person hourly work in a nutshell. I have zero interest in buddying up to coworkers or bosses, or in killing time at work - I'd rather be anywhere else. Give me paid by productivity any day! Managers pretend pay and promotion are about efficiency, quality, and work ethic, really it's a neverending popularity and attendance contest.
Put your resume out, OP. Find a better job. Ironically, these are probably the same people that parrot all the buzzwords and catchphrases. You are LITERALLY working smarter, not harder, and they are giving you s**t for it. Look for employment elsewhere (you shouldn't have any problem getting it), leave, and let the place implode.
Sounds like the "time theft" happening is from everyone else. I once had a coworker come up to me and tell me to slow down because I was making everyone "look bad"...uuhhh they're making themselves look bad tbh. I now work for myself. No complaints!
Yes lots of workplaces rebel against this because they don't want their workers to leave early and they Don't want to recognise their efficiency because it would open them up to a promotion
That last comment is spot on. I was told multiple times at the USPS that I was working too fast.
And this is why delivery and messenger services such as FedEx, and UPS became so popular. But thank you very much for being one of the efficient workers. If only all employees took pride in themselves and their work.
Load More Replies... I do this all the time. I can do in a day what my peers do in a week. I keep that to myself and use my extra time to develop new ideas and projects that benefit my boss. It works for me because I'm creative so I am always developing new systems to be more efficient on the drudgery so I have more time to do the creative stuff I like. Yes, I make my coworkers look bad but no one can really say anything. Any of them could do it too if they really wanted to. My boss once asked me to show them my system and I did - I even made a website with step by step instructions and pictures - but not one of them uses it. I can only assume they like spending all day doing drudgery work.
Did this, done that, i was taken by different manager who doesn't care how much time it takes till I get it done. Any other manager would ruin me the way you described indeed. Find better job or apply for job in leaders. With your results and accuracy I see no reason why you shouldn't succeed.
This guy is in the wrong job. I used to be like that. And now I am a process analyst and optimise processes for a fantastic salary. Embrace that love of efficiency. It's a goldmine! 😁❤️
When one has owned their own Business in the past you have to be "efficient" in Keeping your own Acct. Books Straight, paying Business Bills on time, plus your Own Personal Ones.... Mortgage, Insurances, Utilities etc. and keep a FICO Score of 800+ This one Company I worked for didn't like me doing things in a better, faster way .... so I was let go when others places said I was "Superior" in my job ?????????? No logic there !!!!!!!!!!
I learned early on in my career, the "more established" services companies make more money off clients, simply by being inefficient. Throw in a lot of bureaucratic crap like status update meetings, risk assessments, consensus from respective bosses and hardly any work gets done. But the clients get to see pretty presentation slides on why hardly any work gets done.
Unbelievable. Don't sink to a level beneath you of being petty, or vengeful. You are clearly an effective and efficient employee. Stay honorable. Look for another job/career that will appreciate and respect you. You will be better off, and much happier. You truly deserve better.
I have had this happen at a job before I was temporarily replacing a coworker who worked back of house at a casino cleaning the kitchens. Well her, another lady and my supervisor all finish for first break, lunch and last break all at the same time to get to go together. I was told during the first week maybe every couple hours I was going too fast and I wouldn't have enough to do later... finally after a while they got over it and let me go on the floor to clean.. where I got in trouble for looking too young. I was told to stop picking up the empty alcohol bottles because I wasn't 21 yet. Well the beverage server through a fit and got upset that I was no longer doing her job anymore and complained so it would constantly flip flop. People just need to shut the f**k up and let people do their jobs as long as it is being done correct.
This is such a fn load of bullshit. I can't stand places like that. No, the problem isn't the one getting their work done more efficiently, it's the ones who aren't. They should be talked to, and also shamed and reprimanded for reporting the coworker in the first place. This is one of the problems of the corporate mindset and society that we've built. If you actually work people get fn jealous because they're lazy, you're shamed for doing good or being too efficient or having actual goals, etc etc. Among many other ignorant, counter productive practices. Fck Corporate America and the world. We need a different emphasis while work becomes just that again, not life.
Almost this exact same thing happened to me while working as a credit controller for an international pizza company. On my initial hiring, I was put on a 3 month probation period (fairly standard where I live). Basically, within that 3 month period, I wasn't entitled to the same level of company benefits as others and would get a pay increase upon a successful probation period. After the 3 months were up, I was called into a meeting with the credit control manager and the accounts manager. They told me they were extending my probation by another 3 months. Basically, I was completing twice the work of the other controllers and was reducing my accounts due period too fast. In 3 months, my 120 days overdue list was almost zero and my 90 and 60 days overdue had been halved. Their argument was that they felt they didn't have enough work to keep me occupied full time so they wanted to look for other work for me. So, I was punished for being too good at my job!
Ive been accused of time theft at a place used to work at, we were always very short handed and people would constantly not show up ( this was a doggy daycare where the groups where our all day long.) So I would have to on more then one occasion have to skip my lunch so that the group would not be left unattended. And turn an a few nights I was allowed to leave 30min early ( lunch was 30 min on an 8 hr day) well one day my boss tells me that I have been stealing time and she will go into my time clock and adjust my hours accordingly. I'm like huh, you are the one requesting me to skip lunch because you don't have enough staff. But okay if you say so. Needless to say I was not there much longer after that.
The first comment got it right. Just reduce the speed of your output - not the speed of your actual work. Sit on it ... wait a bit ... someone asks, "No, not done yet, still waiting for info from XY" ... My current job is a bit like this - we make machinery that is, in this way, each time built as a one-off. There often are things coming to customer's mind late, things done in a certain way because it worked a few times before, but then changed when more info rolls in, the stuff gets more detailed, reevaluated (like structural reinforcements get corrected often, or safety measures - we're in an explosive, powderous environment here, so this is quite important to avoid causing harm). I often sit an wait for info to arrive at my desk, and then, pressure's up again, get that stuff included as fast as you can, just to get it back again with something someone decided that should have been decided a long time before.
Slow down, maybe go online and kill some time in between. If that’s what they want then give them what they want, you still get paid.
I feel this... and different people get different reactions. That whole write up there of 'building relationships'? True. And depending on who you are... much more difficult for some. One job, sure, I was efficient, clients liked me, asked for me by name, etc. This just made this other co-worker angry, because I was "making her look bad" becaaauuuse... it's aaall about... her.... and she was bffs with the manager... the manager who is/was that pseudo-woke type - basically they only made 'good connections' with white people - everyone else was *at best* given a 'pat on the head for being a good boy!!!" So I was absolutely screwed.
That manager has too much time on her hands. If she's going to micromanage one person while a group of others whine...she doesn't recognize it when she's being manipulated and gaslit (she also has a plantation mind-set). There's a disconnect here that is too deep to overcome in the lifespan of a single cohort and massively-under-talented manager - you will have to leave before it becomes even more toxic.
1/3 I worked at a printing and reprographic company reproducing art works of well known and famous artists where they would sign certificates of authenticity. I was hired for the night shift as the work was backing up and the supply could not meet with demand. We supplied galleries as well so that when the original was taken for cleaning, the replica was put in its place until it was returned. I found the problem was the faults in the printers and the fact they had to bring an engineer from Belgium to the UK, put him in a hotel for 2 nights just so he can replace a small part. Something about a contract saying major repairs could only be done by the printer company. We had to pay him by the hour from when he left his office until he returned to his office and that was 72 hours all said and done. Very expensive. The engineer wasn't happy as he missed his family and after 8 years had only had major repair and that was the power supply. Most of the time it was a blocked nozzle
2/3 or a misalignment. I noticed a pattern. I was working alone with no interuptions so I would focus on the fine details of the 6 monster printers. As I went through I started writing down the faults and created a simple flow chart and found I could do the simple tasks myself. The amount of times the engineer came out reduced quite a lot. I then created a fault reporting sheet and job log. For example 200 print outs and every 5th one would see the red pigment drift a hundredth of a millimeter to the left and slightly larger red application causing a minor blush. Armed with the log and fault report I would call the engineer and tell him what was wrong and he spent 20 minutes walking me through a nozzle clean and re-alignment. Eventually I had everything set up so the engineer would go through a quick checklist over the phone instead of "Its going redder" to see if he needed to be there. I wrote out a general mainainance book for simple repairs that can be done by the operator.
Load More Replies...
94
33