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

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