Users Of This Online Group Were Honest About 30 Things That They Learnt From Having To Work For Someone
When you enter a workplace, you get to know the dynamics of the specific company, office and staff, but some of the lessons you are taught are universal. Unfortunately, many of them lead to disappointment and just highlight how unfair people are.
Reddit users shared the lessons employment taught them when FoxChess shared a screenshot of a thread on the same topic started by The Skinfluencer. Actually, Bored Panda made a list from the answers there so you can read through more work-related lessons by clicking here.
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Loyalty doesn’t mean s**t. Your workplace will kick you to the curb in a second to save a buck as mine did after being there for 10 years.
The answers that were upvoted by redditors the most are pretty related to one another and they talk about how the only reward people who work hard, who are honest or who are efficient in what they do is to be given even more work or it goes unnoticed altogether.
To analyze the sentiment that many people in the thread had, Bored Panda reached out to Chris Preston, Organizational Culture Expert and Founder & Director of The Culture Builders. He explained to us that “Often, hard work is down to an ethic, and people who do their utmost best are doing so because they feel it's the right thing to do. But that doesn't mean they don't need acknowledgement - and that's often what's missing.”
Colleagues and higher-ups stop acknowledging the hard work because the employee makes it look like it’s easy, they make it the ‘norm’ and don’t get praised anymore despite the job still being hard.
Chris adds, “Pay is one route, but there are a number of studies that show how money is not the best motivating/rewarding factor (and that's not just from the payroll department). Praise, non-monetary thank-you rewards and being noticed are all needed. Regularly.”
I always tell my students that when you find yourself with a job or in the workforce, always have your boss/supervisor convinced your 75-85% is your 100%, mainly to avoid burnout, and only go full effort in short bursts when you’re certain you’ll get something out of it
But if your inner perfectionist is crying in the corner when you don’t give your all at work, maybe it’s worth being the best you can be just for the sake of it? The Organizational Culture Expert says that in some companies you will want to work harder naturally, “Companies with a strong purpose will always have hard workers, because they aren't doing it for the organisation, they are doing it for the cause. A great example is Patagonia - they are trying to fix the planet (oh, and they sell clothing). It's the first thing they tell you, and it's their number one focus. I'd work very hard in that company.”
Despite that, it all comes to balance, “People should always work sustainably and not push themselves into burn out. Also, don't make it about others - you will just be endlessly chasing someone you think is better than you. Set out your own plan for success - work hard as you feel comfortable doing, don't compromise life and walk away at the end of the day genuinely feeling you've done a good job.”
Overworked workers don't get raises, they get pizza parties
As a person who was working in grocery pickup at Kroger in Atlanta Ga, before and during the pandemic I saw this more than ev8er. If you work 40 hours 8 weeks in a row you automatically become full time, qualifying for benefits. The sixth or seventh week it was amazing how management would find an excuse of why they didn't need you to work 40 hours that week, despite being dramatically understaffed. Oh and the pizza? Usually the pizza was gone by the time the hardest workers were able to manage to try and grab a slice.
When your work tells you that they are a family remind them that you hate your f*****g family.
And if you feel like you do your best but it’s not enough, Chris suggests that you consider moving on where your competence will be more appreciated.
He actually thinks that working hard is not the most important thing, “I'm not a fan of 'people should work hard' - I prefer 'People should work well' - giving plenty of effort and input, but also managing their lives so they remain balanced and happy. And organisations should help them do this by fielding good managers that know how to spot the good workers and reward them.”
I call it the 'Curse of Competency' and I warn every new employee not to be too good at anything unless they want to do way more of it than they have to for no extra money.
That no matter how much you enjoy doing something, as soon as you do it for work it loses its magic. It still makes work easier, no doubt. But if you cherish spending time on something that brings you joy, don't monetize it.
Can't agree with this more. Once you do something for a living, it becomes a job and all the joy is sucked out of it.
That office politics will always trump hard work.
Also, hard workers don’t always win. Sometimes the ones who get noticed are the ones who talk the loudest instead of those who allow their work to speak for itself. Chris is convinced that this is true, “There's a great phrase we use - 'the squeaky wheel gets the oil' - more dominant, extroverted people will tend to get higher rewards. But also, on a darker front, people with less empathy, awareness or social skills will do the same - grabbing reward at the cost of others. Sadly 'nice people miss out' is often true.”
It all comes to the management's judgment so the solution lies in them, “Managers need to be trained and adept at seeing past the noise and looking for hard work, not listening to those that say they do it.”
I am a highly trained specialized ICU nurse with multiple certifications. My employers have taught me that I am replaceable. The pandemic has taught me that they are wrong. As many highly trained nurses leave the bedside, myself included, I would love to say that we all proved them wrong, but somehow middle management all the way up to hospital administrators and c suite execs still think they're right. They can throw themselves pizza parties for the rest of eternity for all I care.
I can't change greedy healthcare companies from the inside. We, as a society must demand free and equal access to healthcare. Healthcare is really just another victim of capitalism and putting profits above people.
Amen. If we can purge the administrators and most of the insurance industry, there will be so much money left over to pay nurses, to pay for universal health care, etc.
I was very good at my job as a carpenter Foreman at concrete companies putting in foundations. That meant I was always working, even when jobs were slow and there was hardly any work. After 35 years, I got to retire at age 55 because my body was worn out. I have had 17 surgeries, 5 artificial body parts, and a device implanted on my spinal cord to block the constant pain. Along with taking morphine 3X a day. That’s what hard work got me.
Omg! I've been at my job for 30 years. I need two knees, im too young to get them . Doc said you have to be 60 years old for a new knee. I'm in so much pain. Yet I still have to come to work. I still get paid the same as the people that give very little. I've had elbow surgery, and epidurals in my neck, because of bulging discs. Thank you brown.
How hard you APPEAR to be working is way more important than how hard you’re actually working. If you’re not loud and boastful people will just assume you’re not doing anything
Against this I would say there are too many people loud and boastful and doing little, getting noticed by co-workers who are doing the actual work. Pi$$es the hardworkers off to no end.
But surely, not all workplaces are like that because alongside with the sad truths that the redditors realised, there are plenty of success stories of people doing their job, being good at it and getting the proper acknowledgement.
Chris would like to believe that there are more companies that are good and value their employees than the bad ones.and the thread is so negative because people tend to express negative emotions online more often than the positive ones.
What is your experience? Do you feel valued at your workplace? Are there any positive lessons that employment has taught you? Let us know in the comments.
People who say s**t like “find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life” are the dimmest life form in existence.
Really, anyone who speaks in technobabble, gladwellian nonsense have absolutely zero behind the eyes.
Whenever I hear someone seriously using the word "synergy" I want to run for the hills!
One of my favorite expressions is: "The reward for the fastest coal shoveller is a bigger shovel"
That's why I finish a week-long project in two days and wait a week and a half to report it.
I spend approximately 30 hours a week pretending to be busy and the other 10 doing actual work. To be fair though I hardly ever have more than 10 hours of work in a week. I ask for things to do and no one ever gives me anything 🤷♀️
Being really good at your job doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get promoted. If you do your job too well you’ll actually become too valuable to promote.
Those who get promoted are able to do their jobs, but more importantly are vocal and able to get their work recognized.
Never bring a good idea to 'management'. Your efforts will get resented or stolen, probably both.
Or, you will be responsible for that idea to come to reality, doing it alone, while alongside working your job 100% and being pressured to finish it faster and of course, with no pay increase only to later realize, that you have done extra job for 2 people. That's why I no longer go to management with ideas.
Incompetency + Nepotism = Management Material
Truer words were never spoken. In smaller family companies, it also spells the company going down the toilet. All the good people leave, the founder’s kid hires all their buddies, and the quality of work goes to hell in a hand basket. Sad situation in cases where the founder was a really great boss, and the work environment was enjoyable and the pay was good. Unfortunately, people get to be blind to their children’s incompetence and inability to manage people.
You have to look out for yourself above anybody else, because if you don't look out for yourself nobody will.
Yeah I've learned to never cover a shift for anyone that asks you personally because they'll tell you "I'll cover for you another time when you need it!" And then when you truly need a shift to get covered, everyone you ask to cash in the favor will be like "oh so sorry, it's my cousin's sisters hamsters birthday so I can't do it this time! If it were any other day I totally would!!!"
In any job - it all pays the same. You’ll get the same 2% increase if you do just what you’re supposed to do at an acceptable level that you’ll get if you go above and beyond and throw everything into a job. Also - staying with a company for decades screws you financially. Was just reminded of this when someone from my department came to a happy hour as I was leaving. 30 years with the company and he was making less than I was when I started.
My husband is in the tech field and he says the best way to get a raise is to get a new job every 2 years. Because when you get a standard raise, at least where he is contracted, the raise is max 5%, his particular employer appreciated his work so much they fought for 8%, but if he were to find a new job and negotiate salary, he could easily get at least 20% with his resume
Being the best at your job doesn't mean you can't still get threatened with termination of the boss is stupid enough to do it.
Oh yes.. I was told I was the most efficient worker of the team. I asked for a raise, got called ungrateful and was fired the next day.
I'm in the middle of taking yearly compliance courses and the "employee ethics" course makes my blood boil.
Basically telling employees: here's a set of rules. Be ethical and honest. But management? They break the rules and get a golden parachute IF they get caught.
Ethics are basically well-intentioned rules easily manipulated by bad actors, which apparently is celebrated in the media nowadays. I'm five minutes over in clocking out and I get an occurrence. The CEO slashed 5-10% of the workforce and he gets a bonus for cost-savings.
The trick is to convince your coworkers and management that your just competent enough to do your job, but not enough to be trusted to do any extra or complicated work.
Years ago, I had a sales job with a construction supply company. I answered the phone and took orders, making sure people got what they needed for their project.
There was one project people wanted to do, and the qualifying questions to make sure they bought the right kit took about 30-45 minutes to get through. By the time we figured out what they needed, they were kind of done with everything and just wanted to get off the phone. About 25% of the time, they would call back or order off our website. The other 75% of the time, they gave up on the project. I was losing about 2 hours a day on these calls that made nobody any money.
So, one week I turned on excel and started making a spreadsheet. I spent every single free minute I had working on that spread sheet for these kits. After dumping about 20 hours into it, I had a spreadsheet that every salesman could glance at, ask 3 or 4 questions, and match with the right kits. Qualifying took less than 5 minutes and we closed 50% of all calls, with another 20% buying off the website later.
I now had about 2 hours a day do relax.
I was given more work to do to make sure I was "earning my keep". I couldn't believe that I had increased my own sales per day by about 500$, and increased the profit per day of the sales team by about 1500$ with one spreadsheet and they said I wasn't earning my keep because I had too much down time.
The problem here is what you were doing with your down time. You can't always look relaxed and enjoy the downtime. Gotta find a way to look busy even when you're doing absolutely nothing. But yeah that does stink how bosses are like that most of the time
“No good deed goes unpunished”
Those who point out a problem are usually the ones tasked with finding the solution. With no extra resources.
Some people take work way too seriously. Cell #s on OOO, everything's a fire drill, gotta set your career goals!
Like bro, I'm trying to get through 8 hours and live my life. I don't have goals other than that.
Performance reviews: " so where do you want to be in 5 years time? What skills at work do you want to develop and work on" My brain: " I would like to make the most amount of money for the least amount of responsibility"
I was noticed to be superior to my coworkers, who deliberately and maliciously sabotaged me. Twice. Do *not* go all out to impress your leaders, it makes everyone else look bad and they will get you fired for it.
Do your work and keep your head down. Don't go so above and beyond that you get a spotlight (target) on you. Work hard, do your job adequately
The need to unionize and socialize
When unions were near 50% of the work force, they actually did what they were designed to. The decimation of unions has allowed corruption. Then again, I wouldn’t have had early cancer screening and full insurance coverage, if my hubs wasn’t in the union. I literally owe my life to having their offered healthcare.
Being an a*s kisser is the only way you move up in a job
A couple of weeks ago it was announced that a major city wants all its staff to reapply for their jobs. One of the things said was that experience and competence were not the main requirements anymore......
I haven't been unemployed but ironically I do the bare minimum at my job and fly under the radar....they offered me a promotion.
You have shown them that you're smart enough to know how the systems works. Besides, you do very little while others take up your slack If that doesn't show management potential, I don't know what does.
The douchebag former dean at the school I work at thought he was cute when he said "what do you get for winning the pie eating contest? More oie!"
How about f**k you. I was quiet quitting before they had a name for it and I get the same annual raise as the suckers that go above and beyond.
Yeah I had one of those managers that during annual reviews would refuse to give the highest/excellent score because "there's always room for improvement". So guess who stopped trying to actually do a good job since they weren't going to give her a good score anyways?
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Some of the things I learned from work: 1. No matter what kind of job it is, if I get along with the people I work with I will like the job. If we don't get along, I will hate it. 2. My favorite jobs involved doing something I was good at. 3. Short shifts (4-6 hours long) were better for my attitude, mind, and health. So I pursued a career where I could work on that kind of schedule. 4. No matter how much I think my work is worth, what matters is how much someone else is willing to pay for my work.
My 23 year old son is in the Army and he's learned to just play dumb and never volunteer. If you play dumb they don't expect a lot from you.
I get that my experience was different. But for "most" of my work life, I was well paid, had good coworkers, and was rewarded for hard work. As the years go by more and more personnel get converted to human resources. Don't stay in a job where you are a commodity instead of an asset. Assets bring value and are taken care of, commodities are there to be used up. Know your value.
Some of the things I learned from work: 1. No matter what kind of job it is, if I get along with the people I work with I will like the job. If we don't get along, I will hate it. 2. My favorite jobs involved doing something I was good at. 3. Short shifts (4-6 hours long) were better for my attitude, mind, and health. So I pursued a career where I could work on that kind of schedule. 4. No matter how much I think my work is worth, what matters is how much someone else is willing to pay for my work.
My 23 year old son is in the Army and he's learned to just play dumb and never volunteer. If you play dumb they don't expect a lot from you.
I get that my experience was different. But for "most" of my work life, I was well paid, had good coworkers, and was rewarded for hard work. As the years go by more and more personnel get converted to human resources. Don't stay in a job where you are a commodity instead of an asset. Assets bring value and are taken care of, commodities are there to be used up. Know your value.
