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Everyone’s “on the job” experiences will be different in some ways, but the fact remains that being employed often means dealing with bizarre, dumb and plain old useless rules and personalities. So it’s no wonder that folks tend to get creative about getting around rules under these circumstances.
The "Overemployed" internet group is dedicated to people sharing their experiences, tips and tricks for getting by in the workplace these days. So get comfortable, make sure your manager isn’t looking over your shoulder, upvote your favorites and be sure to add your thoughts in the comments section below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Contract Work Would Seem Cathartic In The Final Years Before Retirement. Might Add A Couple…
Janissary35680 4 months ago
As a self-employed freelancer myself, I've had occasion to do something like this a couple of times and the sense of freedom is always exhilarating, even if it means returning an advance.
Su Boddie 4 months ago
"What are you going to do, fire me?" has always been my stand. No one ever has. All you have to do is your best. Works every time. This is a true scenario. From irs.gov: The general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if the person for whom the services are performed has the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not what will be done and how it will be done. P.S. I'm 76, still helping people with their taxes - 6 days a week, from January to mid-April; two days a week from May - October.
Celtic Pirate Queen 4 months ago
I loved being self employed and never had a problem telling someone (usually the company owner) to suck it. Told one guy I'd be unavailable the following Thursday & Friday (on a Monday) and he asked why, he didn't remember me requesting time off. So I said, "a) why I will be unavailable is none of your business and b) I'm not requesting time off, I am INFORMING you that I will be unavailable. I am not your employee and you are not my boss, you are MY client. Remember?" He'd been really pushing his luck and it felt great putting him in his place.
RELATED:
#2
Very True
Roni Stone 4 months ago
We used to beat our clothes against rocks to clean them, too, Doug. Just got spoiled, I guess, but this spoiled entitled lazy baby prefers using the washing machine.
#3
You G*****n Right !!!
Online communities like antiwork have gained popularity in recent years, with millions of people disillusioned, burned out, or just angry about modern work culture. What started as a niche internet forum to vent has evolved into a movement that reflects broader frustrations with how work, wealth, and well-being interact. The rise of these movements isn't a matter of people not wanting to work, it's a matter of people pushing back against the way work has been structured and how unfair those structures often are.
Burnout is one of the biggest forces driving this surge. For years, low pay, h**h stress, and long hours have been the reality, with workers being instructed to just "work harder" or "be grateful to have a job." But as living costs skyrocket and pay does not keep pace, more and more people are finding the deal doesn't compute.
#4
Seems Pretty Accurate To Me
Tom Hutcherson 4 months ago
That's why I'm glad I work for the State of Colorado.
Load More Replies... #5
Be Efficient, Get The Work Done Faster Than Others, Do No More
PirellisMiracleElixer 4 months ago (edited)
In foreign language classes, I would describe my summer or weekend using words I knew from the lessons even though it was lies. While my classmates would struggle to find the words to describe their actual weekend/summer. Work smarter, not harder.
C B Jones 4 months ago
Literally all of my school days. When we had exams too: I used to finish quickly and get out. I got graded worse than other people with the same answers, "because you did not put enough effort into it: you left before the end of the exam". Or maybe - MAYbe - I can reach my memory's content quicker than some others? Anyway, instead of giving my paper and getting out I learnt how to discreetly doodle on my draft paper for the whole exam, looking like I was furiously thinking, and my grades miraculously went up.
LooseSeal's $10 Banana 4 months ago
I once had a grad school professor write "not your best work" on an assignment that was pass/fail. Obviously it's not my best work. A work is as profitable as D work on a pass/fail assignment.
Sven Horlemann 4 months ago
I'd call that fast and efficient. But what do I know after decades in management?
Therese Clarke 4 months ago
I had a teacher once announce to the entire class that I could take my time and everyone would say that I finished first
SchadenFreudian Psychology 4 months ago
At school, if I finished early, I was allowed to read (a book of my choice.) At work, if I finish early, I have to pretend I’m still working. That taught me two things. 1) School is 100,000 times better than work is. 2) I have no incentive to work efficiently at most jobs. I have a huge incentive to slow down my pace.
#6
The Bosses Are Onto Us
To expend most of your time laboring and still be unable to pay rent, healthcare, or necessities is a formula for feelings of futility, and communities like "antiwork" or "overemployed" are where that indignation gets expressed. As expectations have also changed generationally, younger workers have seen their parents burn themselves out with little in the form of security or happiness as a payoff.
#7
Reminded Me Of This Sub
Fire Singer 4 months ago
"If you want to make a living get a REAL job." Oh I'm sorry, I thought working full time at McDonald's and two part time jobs at Walmart and the gas station were real jobs. Guess not! Better become a lawyer, or a doctor. Oh wait, you can't afford to go to college? Just get student loans, you know, loans that make you pay back 300% of what you borrowed to better your life???? GAH!!!!
SchadenFreudian Psychology 4 months ago
Fvck work. It’s bad enough to have ONE full time job. If you have to work more than that, you should be rioting in the streets.
#8
No I Signed An Nda
#9
Passion Is For Early Retirement
KnightOwl86 4 months ago (edited)
I'm an artist, I studied art in school and loved it, went on to do art in college and gradually realised I was beginning to hate it. I dropped out when I realised that doing anything artistic as a career would make me lose my passion and grow to hate it. I now have a totally different career that I'm very passionate about and art is my hobby, I create one of a kind artwork for loved ones and enjoy every second of it. (I do portraits, mostly of kids or families and pictures of pets)
Su Boddie 4 months ago
History: I always enjoyed my jobs. I worked hard because I loved the work. The benefits, financial and personal, built up over the years. Walked out on one job in 40 years because the owner's mother, my boss, got on my nerves. I never understood taking a job you hate. When a client comes to me with 13 - 15 W-2s (tax documents) for the same tax year, it's clear, to me. One even admitted that he couldn't find a job he liked, which translated to he couldn't find a job where he would get paid and not have to do anything.
The old promise that hard work guarantees stability, a home, a family, a comfortable retirement, rings hollow in the new economy. When people see that loyalty to a company does not mean loyalty in kind, and that companies can shed jobs or freeze pay without hesitation, the possibility of resisting or rethinking work altogether is alluring.
#10
I Wish This Was A True Story
Fire Singer 4 months ago
The only reason I'm available to my coworkers outside of work hours is because they've shown they don't take advantage and have earned that right from me. In other jobs I've worked that has decidedly not been the case and I did not work outside of work hours period.
#11
Thats Why Rejections Don’t Matter
KatWitch57 4 months ago
A lot of people working in HR are 'mediocre and lazy' because employers prefer not to pay for HR qualified professionals now that they can use AI.
Zig Zag Wanderer 4 months ago
Yeah, I've heard of Java developers being required, and JavaScript developers being advertised for.
K Barnes 4 months ago
Ah yes, let's generalize about a whole group of incredibly diverse people based on one personal situation you've had. That always works well. (For the record, I find a lot of people in HR to be mediocre and lazy but I certainly wouldn't say they all are based on my limited experience)
#12
So You Wanna Track My Activities 🤔 Day 2
The Majestic Opossum 4 months ago
Great example of "ask stupid questions, get stupid answers" right here! This is fantastic 😂
The COVID-19 pandemic was also squarely to blame for these attitudes. Remote working gave many a first experience of flexibility, and they could quickly realize how much of office life was unnecessary. At the same time, those who were considered essential workers were placed in dangerous situations with little extra pay, revealing just how undervalued and exploited so many jobs really are. The contrast between billion-dollar companies making record profits while workers were denied sick leave was stark, and the outrage was focused in communities like "antiwork” and "overemployed."
#13
This Is Why We Oe…
Tara L. 4 months ago
The first one is how petsmart store managers run things. Except for David, David's idea of running the store was sitting in his office watching the security cameras. If he saw something he didn't like, he'd call for you over the intercom to come to his office. He'd actually lock his office door & pretent he wasn't in there when we'd get slammed & needed his help. Because heaven forbid he get his 600lb a$s up & do actual work. Fk you David.
#14
This Belongs Here
#15
Maybe A Bit Much But I’m Taking A Stand Against Stupid Assignments Now
SchadenFreudian Psychology 4 months ago
How is that not theft? Hmmm……what are some words for “unpaid labour”?
And then there is the cultural aspect. Work has been tied to identity and self-worth for a long while, yet communities like "antiwork" rebel against that. They provide a forum to mock corporate culture ridiculousness, share stories of exploitation, and celebrate small victories of resistance, like quitting a toxic workplace or saying no to unpaid overtime. The communal narrative in these forums creates solidarity, causing people to understand they are not by themselves in their sentiments of exploitation or unhappiness.
#16
What Image Says
Marianne Kearney-Brown 4 months ago (edited)
And effective teachers get their classes loaded up with troubles-makers and kids who are below grade level “because we know you can handle it”, making it impossible to be an effective teachers.
Littlemiss 4 months ago
Yep, then the manager or administrator will take credit for any success you have and say oh well you're doing so well we gave you more trouble makers because you handled the ones you have.
Load More Replies... K Barnes 4 months ago
I used to work in a warehouse where less than half the staff did 95% of the work. Management started posting our work stats and they proved that some people did basically nothing, but they had no consequences at all. It amazes me that those managers made a healthy 6 figures a year to be so ineffective.
#17
As You Start Your Day Today - Just Remember... They Don't Care About Us
Brian Leahy 4 months ago
Agreed, though I wouldn’t call that acting like a robot. More like a frustrated child. “You’re quitting?? Well you can’t ‘cuz I’m firing you!”
Tom Hutcherson 4 months ago
Usually, depending on the circumstances, in terms of receiving unemployment, getting fired is better. If you resign, it depends too on why. (Dangerous conditions, family, harassment etc).
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Fire Singer 4 months ago
Happened to my mom. She spent 25 years at her job only to be treated like garbage and when she retired no party, no thank you, just BYE!
Panda'sMom 4 months ago
Insist that you will leave that day, but they still owe you the two weeks pay. (Per: Labor laws)
#18
Saw This On Twitter
Dav Carro-Ripalda 4 months ago
6 months might be too much, but if "done" in 4 months you will still receive the pat on the head, and a treat: 1 hour for lunch on the 29th of february!!!
Richard Pennington 4 months ago
Years ago, I was brought into a project for a UK Government contract. I completed the assigned task in four working days. It had been scheduled to take a month. The customer was delighted, my manager less so ... he wanted me to rack up the billable hours.
Of course, not all members of these groups are demanding never to work again. For most, the real problem is a matter of fairness, better pay, work-life balance, and acknowledgment that people's value isn't defined by productivity. "Antiwork"'s popularity is an indicator that increasingly, people are waking up to the fact that the current system has a tendency to take more than it provides, and that questioning it isn't laziness, it's demanding dignity.
#19
Would You Go That Far?
Silly Dragon 4 months ago (edited)
In my case I gave my 4 week notice then 2 days later my boss said I was let go for being incompetent (I worked there for 14 years), yet they've been asking me still how to do my job.
Fire Singer 4 months ago
When my mom finally retired after being treated like garbage by her boss for one time too many magically they started begging her not to retire because she was too important. She gave them a whole month before she left, and when she did leave they kept trying to get a hold of her for answers on how to do her job. Nope. You don't owe those kinds of companies a darn thing!
Load More Replies... 
Mabelbabel 4 months ago
If you click the link below the image (where it says "consciouslyeating") it takes you to the reddit thread this was posted on. The worker had created the files on his personal server and the company never transferred them to their own storage, so not only were they using his files, they were using his storage, until he blocked it.
Load More Replies... #20
Oops 😂😂
Mark Fergel 4 months ago
As someone in IT, I can tell you you're calendar is never private to the right people.
Billo66 4 months ago
A good VPN and 3 firewalls. Through a linux server. Try me lol.
Load More Replies... Tara L. 4 months ago
Hi, I wanted to let you know I won’t be able to attend Friday’s meeting, as I have a time-sensitive commitment related to livestock procurement. This is essential to maintaining my workflow and ensuring continuity in my responsibilities. I’ll review the meeting notes afterward and follow up on any action items. Thank you for your understanding, Paul"
SchadenFreudian Psychology 4 months ago
No, I can’t possibly move it. That chicken is crucial.
#21
Oe Tip # 69
Zig Zag Wanderer 4 months ago
So often! I used to take meetings in my pool, using a waterproof cordless phone 😁
Nikki Angulo 3 months ago
Our board wants us to have our cameras on during meeting from now on. Ugh.
Littlemiss 4 months ago
I just listen and role my eyes as the rest make up excuses for not actually doing anything and claiming they did.
Essentially, the rise of spaces like "antiwork" is a cultural phenomenon. People are less likely to silently endure unfair situations and more likely to commiserate, vent, and fight back together. Through comedy, solidarity, or sheer criticism, these spaces mirror a wider trend of workers who are exhausted with being told perpetual hustle and sacrifice are the only paths forward.
#22
This Is Why I Oe, I Don't Need Any Other Justification
#23
Yes Yes Not Always…but Most Of The Time
Brian Leahy 4 months ago
For the last time, the expression “money can’t buy happiness” is NOT meant to convince poor people that they should not want more money. It is almost the opposite: how many rich people do you know who have ugly divorces? Having money can’t fix that, and it can even make it worse. Great wealth does not guarantee happiness, but great poverty more or less does guarantee misery.
Daria 4 months ago
i see it as telling poor people that having more money won't fix their misery while in most cases it definitely will
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Zig Zag Wanderer 4 months ago
Money doesn't make you happy, but you can be miserable in more comfort. Money actually givee you options. I'd give away all my money immediately to keep the love my partner and I have. That's impossible to buy (🎶everybody tells me so🎶)
SchadenFreudian Psychology 4 months ago
Maybe money can’t buy happiness, but it can solve a lot of problems.
#24
All Of Us Before Oe?
#25
Yeah, That’s A No For Me Dawg 😂
SchadenFreudian Psychology 4 months ago
No, I do not agree. If I’m forced to do this, I’ll perform bodily functions for the camera. (You asked for it!)
Su Boddie 4 months ago
I do. Intuit TurboTax, working from home. The cam isn't always on, but every interaction is recorded: Chat, phone calls, even meetings, which I love because I know they hear everything I tell my manager, co-workers, and clients about why the system isn't working properly. I've ranked "Exceeded Expectations" two years in a row because most of my clients love how I treat them, and that they can finally ask for me.
Panda'sMom 4 months ago
Nope, If you don't trust me enough to work on my own, I will not trust your company.
#26
After 16.5yrs.. If True, Where Is The Empathy And Loyalty From These Employers 🤔
Zig Zag Wanderer 4 months ago
My boss used to say "work to live, don't live to work". He was a good boss.
#27
Saw This And Thought Of You
#28
Quick Call
Strahd Ivarius 4 months ago
The real thing is that after the quick call productivity is zero up to the next day...
#29
Advice: Recruiters, And Jds, Are Dumb. Apply, Even If You Only Have 30% Of The Requirements
#31
Truth
Earonn - 3 months ago
Some people really don't like that you have different values than just "money".
Load More Replies... #32
This Is Why We Oe
Lee Gilliland 4 months ago
They embarrassed themselves and didn't even consider bribing this guy to take it down. what a cheap asset bunch of clowns.
#33
Are We Allowed To Post Relevant Memes Here?
Jenka666 4 months ago
You work your a**e off for about 20 years and then get really good at delegation
Beth H 4 months ago
That’s the old way of thinking. Be so bad at your job they promote you to director while “your” scientists make you look good and do all the thinking for you is what I see pretty often. Beware people who continually change departments and get promoted.
Load More Replies... 
Lizzy Lizzard 4 months ago
Assume you mean politicians, and not the federal workers who actually keep things running
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Jake Bertz 3 months ago
Well you gotta get really good at kissing a*s and identifying the right asses to kiss.
#34
Happy Holidays!
Tara L. 4 months ago
My manager showed up at the hospital to make sure I wasn't faking the emergency appendix removal surgery I needed 🙄. Fortunately my husband was in the room & quietly recorded her going off on a rant about me being in the hospital & demanding to know excatly when I'd be back etc. I sued for hostile work environment, harassment, mental anguish, and a couple other things. They tried to lowball me a settlement but I refused & won big. The jury was flabbergasted that a manager would actually go to the hospital to harass an employee over an emergency surgery that was completely not my fault. 🤣
SchadenFreudian Psychology 4 months ago
Ask the doctor to save the removed gallbladder for you. Put it in one of those Christmas-themed cookie tins. Give it to your manager with a card attached saying, “Merry Christmas!”
#36
Before Oe
Kelly Scott 4 months ago
Yup. The only way to make money these days is to steal it, deal d***s, win the lottery, run a scam, or inherit it.
#37
Love Jobs
SchadenFreudian Psychology 4 months ago
I think it’s a great fit. You have money, and I need it.
#38
This Is Why We Oe
#39
Move To Japan Anyone?
Maren Villadsen 4 months ago
I would bring my dogs to work. Just let whem run around and have fun
Marianne Kearney-Brown 4 months ago
Ohhh! Use the time to perfect your CV, apply for jobs, and prepare for interviews, all on the current company’s dime!
#42
In Response To Amazons Rto Mandate
Fire Singer 4 months ago
I upvoted because I do believe this for most people, for me personally I am far more productive in the office than at home. I get too easily distracted at home. But plenty of my coworkers are far more efficient at home and I think they should have that option!
Load More Replies... SchadenFreudian Psychology 4 months ago
Fvck return-to-office. It’s only inflicted by 1) people who won’t change their investments from commercial real estate to something else and 2) micromanagers.
#43
Same
Jenka666 4 months ago
This post is driving the narrative that people who work from home are lazy. Some days I have meetings at 6 am and 10 pm. It’s not a fair reflection.
PeTeH 4 months ago
I think it means the ones who are paid well don't do that much...
Load More Replies...
Raen Jayda 4 months ago
Is this that dudes wife and kids that cheated on his wife and got caught at the Coldplay concert? That d*****s CEO?
#44
Seems To Be A Good Fit Here
Richard Pennington 4 months ago
At one job interview my opening line was "I bet you don't have many interviewees who are genuinely off sick from another job. But then broken arms aren't contagious, even if I do have two of them." [I had had a fall and had suffered a broken wrist on one side and a broken elbow on the other.] I got the job.
#45
Makes Total Sense
Jo Firth 4 months ago
Uuummm, the youngest boomer is 65 - doubt they want to return to the office to have an affair... and besides that, they could just turn up to a Coldplay concert and see what happens.
Lee Gilliland 4 months ago
Yea, we have our affairs in nursing homes now.
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roddy 4 months ago
All the boomers I know are retired and staying that way. What decade did you think you were in?
Jo Firth 4 months ago
Sadly as a 67-year old boomer I still have to work ... but WFH 2 days/week.
Load More Replies... Brian Leahy 4 months ago
Anyone: are there any companies that would forbid you from coming into the office five days a week if that was your preference?
Tara L. 4 months ago
If you don't know what a boomer is, then stfu about them. Boomers have been retired for at least a decade at this point.
Tamara Kroonen 4 months ago
Boomers are born between 1943 and 1958, so the youngest are 66 now.
Load More Replies... #46
Never Leave Money On The Table
Jenka666 4 months ago
Why are people saying trying to say that working from home is bad? Is this some kind of jealousy thing?
Lee Gilliland 4 months ago
It's harder to snoopervise someone not under direct view at all times.
Load More Replies... #47
Oe Wfh Employees Are So Yesterday. Oe Delivery Drivers Are Next Up 🤣
#48
So You Wanna Track My Activities 🤔
Hiram's Friend 4 months ago
Hell no! There's vacuuming and laundry, dog walking, playing with the cat.
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#50
So
Panda'sMom 4 months ago (edited)
You would prefer D**g Dealers, Murders, and Rapists I take it?!?
Load More Replies... SchadenFreudian Psychology 4 months ago
Who cares what Donnie wants? If everybody (and I mean everybody) would just refuse to cooperate, what could he do about it? Don’t argue about it; don’t warn him this is what you’re going to do. Just say “yes” and then don’t do what he wants.
Dragons Exist 4 months ago
Except everybody's not gonna do that, because he leads a cult of idiots who bend to his will
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#52
Once In Awhile, I Truly Do Question/Think About The Risks Of Oe Because It’s Not Just Me, But For My Family As Well. But That Usually Lasts No Longer Than A Coffee Break
#54
Look At This Guy Calling Out Over Employed
Kelly Scott 4 months ago
Dude, if I want to work a second job, I'll work a second job, with or without your permission. If you want to control me on my time off, you pay me wages around the clock. Otherwise, stick it.
Pam Shar 4 months ago
The overemployed don't work in their off time. They work two or more remote simultaneously.
Load More Replies... #55
Rule #1 Of Oe Should Be: Don’t Talk About Oe
Zig Zag Wanderer 4 months ago
I actually did similar when I had my own business. All of my customers thought they had me full time. All were quite happy with my productivity. I probably worked 6 hours most weekdays. Occasionally had to work hard for urgent deadlines. Made a mint.
Zig Zag Wanderer 4 months ago
Used virtual machines and 2 or three monitors max, though. 6 screens is silly.
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#62
Why Would You Spoil Such A Good Thing By Posting About It On Twitter?
#64
This Guy Was Definitely A Hallway Monitor In Grade School
Jake Bertz 4 months ago
Doing the bare minimum to not get fired is what you're paying them for.
#67
Uh Oh
Mabelbabel 4 months ago
I'm sure the local police precinct will prioritise investigating these heinous and disgusting offences urgently. We need to get these violent criminals off our streets, none of us will be safe otherwise. Why won't anybody think of the profits??
John Dilligaf 4 months ago
it might violate your employment contract, but the only way it might involve the legal authorities is if you were also working for a competitor and were feeding them company secrets.
#68
Oe For Several Years Now With No Plans To Stop Anytime Soon. We Are Enjoying The Fruits Of My Labor
#70
"We Pay Our Engineers $10,000 To Delete Their Linkedin"
#71
That's Why We Oe
Nota Robot 4 months ago
I wouldn't walk away either - until I found a position at a rival company that didn't try to scam me.
#72
When You Oe And You’re Caught 😬
Strahd Ivarius 4 months ago
Elon Musk was head of DOGE and CEO of several companies, why wasn't he put in jail?
#74
😂🤣 #integrity
Littlemiss 4 months ago
So you fired someone for trying to make ends meet? Then claim its about integrity?
#77
Oe On Meme Page
Jenka666 4 months ago
I don’t buy this. It’s really bad management of this can happen. All contracts also prevent it. Usually other jobs need to be disclosed and approved as well
Moira 4 months ago
You're assuming that person is on US, maybe? At my country you can have as many jobs as you want and there is no need to disclose that information with one another company
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#79
"Employee Monitoring Software Has Gone Off The Deep End With AI"
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