'I've stopped trying [and] suddenly I'm promotion material': Burnt-out office ‘try-hard’ refuses to continue going above and beyond, ends up finally getting a 15% raise from the boss after setting healthy boundaries

Managers notice things. While we imagine they're ignoring the workplace's cries for help when it comes to their overwhelming workload, managers aren't blind to the dismay of their employees, they're simply biding their time. When you can wring a person out for all their worth, then replace them with an intern who's only asking for 70% of their replacement's salary, you've got a good capitalistic business model, right? 

But not a very humane one. 

Sometimes, all it takes to land that promotion you've been searching for is not working harder, staying late in the office, and running yourself into the ground. When all else fails, just know that your manager is watching, wondering when you'll reach your limit, so when you've decided to completely give up, they know it's a sign of potentially cutting loose from the company entirely. And when you're completely indispensable, that gives you some promotional leverage—maybe even a 15% raise-worth of leverage. 

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