Worker Gets A Reprimand Instead Of Recognition, Decides To Stop Overworking, Watches Problems Grow

In an ideal 9-to-5 job, you’d come in at exactly 9 o’clock and punch out at 5. However, the reality is different for many people. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), 22% of workers worldwide work excessively long hours without extra compensation. And this holds true in some white-collar jobs more than others.

One employee in the finance sector used to work 70-75 hours a week, yet got no appreciation from their boss. As a cautionary tale to other overachievers, they shared their story online. “Lesson definitely learnt that you owe nothing to your workplace,” the disgruntled employee wrote.

An employee used to work 70-75 hours a week, yet still got no appreciation from the boss

Employee working overtime reviewing documents at office desk, focusing on reports with charts and data analysis.

Image credits: ckstockphoto/Envato (not the actual photo)

The boss even called them inefficient and threatened to replace them with AI

Worker shares experience of overtime in finance field after logging 30 hours overtime during platform change challenges.

Employee shares experience of working 30 hours overtime and facing criticism from VP despite extra effort.

Text excerpt discussing employee working 30 hours overtime and concerns about efficiency and AI replacement at work.

Text excerpt about employee reducing overtime after being criticized for working 30 hours overtime at their job.

Text excerpt about employee overextending with 30 hours overtime due to unrealistic timeline and poor planning issues.

Older man with white beard in a black suit standing by a window, symbolizing employee working 30 hours overtime at office.

Image credits: GaudiLab/Envato (not the actual photo)

Text excerpt showing an employee discussing overtime work and negative comments from upper management about working excessive hours.

Text excerpt about VP hiring new staff due to CEO pressure and coworker quitting, mentioning overtime work challenges.

Employee shares feelings about complex jobs and plans to leave after working 30 hours overtime in a demanding work system.

Image credits: finity99

Many employees work overtime, but they have to be compensated for it

Image credits: mstandret/Envato (not the actual photo)

Who among us hasn’t put in some extra hours at work? Whether to get that promotion, to save up for that dream vacation, or to splurge on a silly whim, most of us have had to push harder at least for a week or two.

The standard workweek in the U.S. and much of the Western world is 40 hours a week. According to the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), a worker receives compensation if their working hours exceed the 40-hour-a-week mark.

Most companies pay their workers double the amount per overtime hour. The law states that employers must pay at least 1.5 times an employee’s regular pay rate for any extra hours.

However, a lot of the time, employees actually don’t get compensated for the extra work they do. One UK study has found that the average employee clocks in 215 extra hours a year. What’s bad is that almost half of them are unpaid.

Working more than 50 hours a week can have negative consequences on our cognitive abilities

Image credits:  lucigerma/Envato (not the actual photo)

While working overtime may earn us more money or get us in good graces with the boss, it can have detrimental effects on our health. Multiple studies show that working more than the standard 40 hours a week negatively impacts our brain, heart, and mental health.

In 2015, researchers from University College London found that those who worked 55 hours per week or more had a 13% greater risk of heart attack. What’s more, such work hours also contributed to a 33% higher likelihood of suffering a stroke, compared to workers whose workweek was 35-40 hours a week.

This year, researchers in South Korea studied how overwork impacts healthcare workers, some of whom worked more than 52 hours a week.

The researchers noticed changes in the brains of overworked medical professionals: impaired memory, decision-making, planning, and problem-solving. Some changes could even affect our emotional stability, increase anxiety, and make it harder to interpret social cues.

A 2024 Canadian study revealed that those working unpaid overtime were more likely to report stress and burnout. Interestingly, men (84%) were more likely to report burnout than women (52%). Yet women (90%) were more likely to say they’re stressed than men (85%).

There’s a culture of unpaid overtime that many company higher-ups cultivate

Image credits: seventyfourimages/Envato (not the actual photo)

There’s no denying that we live in a time when hustle culture is glorified. Even this story illustrates how working overtime is expected in certain white-collar jobs, and the words “work-life balance” are not in some companies’ vocabularies.

A recent UK poll has found that 39% of business leaders think it’s necessary or acceptable for employees to work beyond their contracted hours. Another survey by HiBob asked employees what they think about overtime, and 55% of the respondents admitted that personal sacrifices in time or convenience should be expected if they want to earn raises or promotions.

People consultant at AfterAthena Jade McEvoy says that cultivating such a culture may cost companies over time. “Treating overtime as the norm can contribute to an unhealthy work culture, diminish overall well-being and harm the company’s reputation.”

“Stop working for free! 75 hours a week is wild”: People in the comments didn’t hide their irritation

Online forum discussion about employee working 30 hours overtime and negative responses to excessive overtime work.

Screenshot of a forum discussion about an employee’s experience working 30 hours overtime and the lesson learned.

Online comments discussing an employee’s experience working 30 hours overtime and workplace challenges.

Screenshot of a Reddit discussion about work overtime, coworker relationships, and employee burnout advice.

Comments from an employee about working 30 hours overtime and facing criticism for their leadership and effort.

Employee discusses working 30 hours overtime and being misunderstood by management despite efforts to highlight system issues.

Screenshot of online discussion about employee overtime and management issues, highlighting challenges with unrealistic timelines.

Employee discussing the impact of 30 hours overtime on productivity and burnout in a workplace conversation.

User conversation about employee working 30 hours overtime and experiencing a lack of recognition or compensation in a corporate setting.

Reddit comments discussing employee working 30 hours overtime and the norm of unpaid overtime in some industries.

Reddit comments discussing an employee’s experience working 30 hours overtime and learning a life lesson in the corporate world.

Comment highlighting worker exploitation and undervaluation amid 30 hours overtime and corporate profit focus.

Text discussion about workers facing system collapses and high overtime hours causing loss of company culture and work pressure.

Reddit comment discussing an employee's experience with 30 hours overtime and receiving criticism at work.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment with user expressing surprise after working 30 hours overtime and facing criticism.

User comment about refusing to work unpaid overtime, emphasizing full payment for all hours worked.

Comment discussing employee working 30 hours overtime and employer not paying fair market value for extra work.

Comment discussing the downsides of working 30 hours overtime and the toxicity of martyr culture in the workplace.

Screenshot of an online comment discussing employee working 30 hours overtime and unionizing efforts.

Screenshot of a forum comment discussing an employee getting criticized for working 30 hours overtime.

Comment on employee getting dissed for working 30 hours overtime, discussing unpaid extra hours issue.

Screenshot of a forum comment criticizing unpaid overtime and discussing employee experience with 30 hours overtime.

Comment about employee working 30 hours overtime unpaid and facing consequences from the company and no loyalty.

Screenshot of an online discussion where an employee shares frustration after working 30 hours overtime.

User comment criticizing excessive free overtime work causing others to suffer, highlighting employee overtime issues.

This story isn’t one-of-a-kind; many others have also worked extra hours and gotten no love for it

Text post from a forum where an employee describes working overtime hours and supervisors criticizing their workload.

Text excerpt showing an employee's complaint about poor team performance and leadership accountability after working excessive overtime hours.

Screenshot of a Reddit conversation discussing working 30 hours overtime and the impact on employee work-life balance.

User comment on a forum about sacrifice and being disrespected for working 30 hours overtime at job.

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