After years of overworking, employee starts setting boundaries and gets surprised with 15% raise: 'For years I was the office try-hard'

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Sep 7, 2025 12:00 PM EDT

For years, one employee played the part of the office try-hard. First one in, last one out, answering emails at midnight, volunteering for every project no one else wanted. Three times, they asked for a promotion. Three times, they got the same speech about "potential" and "waiting for the right timing." Meanwhile, others with less experience (though better golf buddies) moved up the ladder.

The breaking point came last month, after yet another rejection. The employee made a choice. No more unpaid overtime, no more weekend emails, no more bending over backward to prove themselves. They started working strictly 9 to 5, declining extra requests that weren't their responsibility.

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  • Instead of being scolded, they were called into the boss’s office and handed a 15% raise. Their boss claimed they had “impressive growth in prioritization and efficiency.” The same boss who ignored years of late-night effort now praised them for being “more focused” and delivering “higher quality work.”

    It’s hard when you’re new at a job. The interview process can be so brutal that it turns people into try-hards, terrified of losing their spot and being thrown back into the candidate pool. 

    But sometimes, doing less really is doing more.

  • AOC H
    via ThisisEngineering For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.


     

  • For years I was the office try-hard- first one in, last to leave, answering emails at midnight, and taking on everyone else's problems.
    via Lanky_Use4073
  • I asked for a promotion three times and kept getting the "we see your potential, just need to wait for the right timing" speech.
    via Lanky_Use4073
  • Last month I hit my breaking point after being passed over again for someone who'd been there half as long but played golf with the VP.
    via Lanky_Use4073
  • I decided I was done killing myself for this place. I started working strictly 9-5, turning off email notifications after hours, and saying "no" to last-minute requests
    via Lanky_Use4073
  • that weren't my responsibility. The weirdest thing happened. My boss called me in yesterday and gave me a 15% raise "for showing such impressive growth in prioritization
    via Lanky_Use4073
  • $ 22 DOLLARS
    via Money Knack For Unsplash+
  • and efficiency." He actually said I'm "more focused and delivering higher quality work" than ever before. I'm completely baffled. Everything I thought would get me ahead
    via Lanky_Use4073
  • (overworking, being available 24/7) actually worked against me, and now that I've stopped trying so hard, suddenly I'm promotion material? Corporate logic makes zero sense.
    via Lanky_Use4073
  • TLDR: After years of overworking with no recognition, I started setting boundaries and working less hours, and now my boss thinks I'm performing better and gave me a raise.
    via Lanky_Use4073
  • That's why if anyone goes through the same situation, right away try to find a way to get into interviews again with other companies.
    via Lanky_Use4073
  • Use the interview hammer ai [interviewhammer] (https://interviewhammer.com/) to help you with interview questions, study well before, and don't let them put you under their thumb.
    via Lanky_Use4073
  • Wonderful_Author9452 Ive seen this before. My theory is sometimes people who are over working, staying late, always hustling give the mistaken appearance they are always behind, catching up at last minute, overwhelmed, can't keep up.
    via Wonderful_Author9452
  • Stunning Orange2258 Yes, it's how corporate works. I've set my boundary since day 1. Clock in clock out on time. Never come too early, never stayback late.. I even asked my
    via StunningOrange2258
  • team not to bring back laptop if there are no urgency.. because it shows that you are not able to manage your time and when people know you are still working after office hours, they will keep that mentality and ask you for nonsense last minute favour every single time...
    via StunningOrange2258
  • Qkumbazoo The act of prioritisation is giving the appearance of being more strategic, which is more valuable than having high output/productivity when looking to move someone up.
    via Qkumbazoo
  • Willing-Bit2581 Yup I have coworkers that stay late bc they think everything is a priority and have a worker bee mentality and will never be promoted. I leave at 5 everyday, strategic thinking gets you moving
    via Willing-Bit2581
  • ActiveBarStool scarcity creates value
    via ActiveBarStool
  • Qalia69 I suspect they fear you were on your way out, so finally someone woke up and decided to "reward" you, so you will stay. Time to be looking anyway perhaps.
    via Qalia69
  • xcaliblur2 I obviously don't know. anything about you or your job, so my comment is more an "in general" one. Just putting out the other side of the coin for consideration:
    via xcaliblur2
  • Sometimes it's not about hard work or how many hours you're willing to work. At a certain level, managers also look at how employees manage their tasks and time.
    via xcaliblur2
  • Which may involve making decisions on what tasks would be your priority and what you are willing to let go.
    via xcaliblur2
  • I know I'll probably get down voted by the many who will say that there's no such thing as "letting go" and that you're forced to do everything. That's generally only true if you work in a very toxic environment.
    via xcaliblur2
  • Your boss may be recognizing that you're making higher level decisions as to how your time is best managed and shifting your focus to the high priority tasks.
    via xcaliblur2
  • Again, everything I say is in general only. May be applicable to your current job. May not be.
    via xcaliblur2

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salary promotion boss employee 9 to 5 reward work raise Office inspirational paycheck empowering
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