You should always do your best! This is a lesson that most of our parents instilled in us as children to ensure that we wouldn’t give up easily and that we would reach our full potential. But once we become adults, plenty of us realize the unfortunate reality that hard work doesn’t always pay off. In fact, it can sometimes come back to bite us.

Below, you’ll find a story that one employee recently shared on Reddit, detailing how going above and beyond at work didn’t actually impress her employers, as well as a conversation with the employee herself and some of the replies invested readers have left her.

This data entry employee prides herself on her efficiency

Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)

But after breaking records in her new position, her supervisors became skeptical of her work ethic

Image credits: Mizuno K (not the actual photo)

Image source: ItDawnedOnMe2

Making sure hard-working employees feel valued is beneficial for everyone

Image credits: fauxels (not the actual photo)

In theory, we should all be doing our best, or at least enough to satisfy our employers, at work. But it still feels nice to be appreciated. Please and thank you can always go a long way, and even when something is expected of you, it’s nice to hear that your efforts are being acknowledged. In fact, when it comes to the workplace, employee recognition is directly linked to job satisfaction and can enhance productivity as well. One Gallup poll even found that businesses with engaged employees are 17% more productive and have 21% higher profits than companies whose employees are disengaged.

Feeling appreciated is also a key factor when it comes to employee retention. Work.com reports that over half of employees leave their jobs after feeling unappreciated by their companies, and Gallup found that employees who never feel their efforts are acknowledged are twice as likely to leave their jobs within a year. Two thirds of workers say they will have better performance if they receive timely appreciation and recognition, and nearly 80% of American workers acknowledge that appreciation drives their motivation levels.

To learn more about this specific situation, we reached out to the woman who shared this story on Reddit, ItDawnedOnMe2, who was kind enough to have a chat with us. “I was inspired to share my story because in the moment, I felt so hurt, which led to frustrations and anger,” she told Bored Panda. “And I needed an outlet for what I was experiencing. It was nice to feel validated and heard when I don’t feel that way at work.”

“There are incredibly talented, hard workers out there who contribute greatly to the success of the business, but they will burn out quickly without acknowledgement and praise”

Image credits: Canva Studio (not the actual photo)

The OP also noted that, thankfully, she has always worked for employers who valued her hard work in the past. “I have never actually experienced a company that responds so negatively to hard work before. I was completely baffled by the response,” she noted. And when it comes to why management was so suspicious of ItDawnedOnMe2, she believes it might be because they didn’t expect her to be overqualified for the job. “Coming in and breaking records probably wasn’t something they expected from an entry level employee,” she explained. “I understand and agree with them needing to look into it further. However, I do not agree with the way in which they went about it, essentially making me feel like I am not trusted.”

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The OP also suspects that one or two of her colleagues may have learned the same lesson in the past and decided to cut back on their work. But she doesn’t believe that the majority of them are doing the bare minimum. “And for the ones who don’t do it on purpose, I feel awful because I would hate to be the reason that productivity goes up because management sees it can be achieved,” ItDawnedOnMe2 added. “I hope my coworkers aren’t punished for my efficiency.”

We were also curious what the OP will be looking for in her next position, as she’s currently on the job hunt. “I think it’s incredibly important to find a company that can acknowledge and praise hard work, has management that can communicate effectively and do their due diligence behind closed doors, and trusts their employees to do their job,” she told Bored Panda.

And as far as what she hopes sharing her story will achieve, the OP says, “I hope that anyone in management reading this can learn from this and help grow their company, not hinder it or breed mediocrity. There are incredibly talented, hard workers out there who contribute greatly to the success of the business, but they will burn out quickly without acknowledgement and praise. Take time out of your day to praise or compliment someone. I promise it’ll do wonders for your business.”  

Many underappreciated employees have decided that doing the bare minimum is enough

Image credits: Edward Jenner (not the actual photo)

According to Robert Half Talent Solutions, going the extra mile at work can even backfire. He notes that often hard workers end up sacrificing personal time to prioritize their work life, which can be detrimental to their happiness and their relationships. It’s not worth it to work overtime if it starts taking a toll on your marriage. Going above and beyond at work can be detrimental to your physical and mental health as well, if you find yourself skipping meals or losing sleep to focus on your job. This can add additional stress to your life and increase your risk of stroke and coronary heart diseases. 

Feeling the need to work as hard as possible all the time can also lead to “presenteeism,” or forcing yourself to work through illness. This is unhealthy for obvious reasons, but it can also put colleagues at risk and perpetuates toxic hustle culture mentality that we don’t deserve breaks or rest. And of course, if you’re working hard all of the time without any promotions, increase in your paycheck or acknowledgement from your boss, what’s the point? If those doing the bare minimum, without being stressed or making any sacrifices, are being paid exactly the same, there’s no reason to keep trying so hard.

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We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Have you ever found yourself in a similar position at work? Then, if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article that fellow undervalued employees might appreciate, look no further than right here!     

Readers shared their thoughts on the story and provided some advice for the woman

Some even shared similar experiences they’ve had at work

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