Employee purposefully slows down productivity to show how he's carrying the team, his coworkers flip out: 'I was the mug that covered for everybody and was then doing 5 peoples jobs, [then] I decided to work at the pace of everyone else'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Nov 8, 2025 10:00 PM EST

Odds are, you learned during your first group project at school that one person is likely going to do all of the work. Group projects are rarely true group projects. There always winds up being a leader, a follower, and someone who doesn't turn in their section until the minute before it's due, if they turn it in at all. This is just the nature of collaboration. And if you were that person who stepped up and did all the work, you likely have some complicated feelings about that. 

You probably wish you could have gotten some help, but part of you feels satisfied knowing that you took the lead on something. You just hope that in the future, when you become an adult, you can surround yourself with people who are like you, and not the people you grew up with. In adulthood, you get to choose who you spend your time with. You'd hope that they're folks who can step up to the challenge. But that doesn't always happen, especially in the workplace. One worker learned that the hard way. 

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  • An employee throws his head back at his desk with excitement.
    via Vitaly Gariev

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • When he found himself doing the brunt of the work after weeks of going above and beyond, he didn't see any reward in sight other than more work. That's the unfortunate truth about putting in your all-- you might not get anything in return. So he had a plan to expose just what was happening here. Read on to see what happened. 

  • I started working at the pace of everybody else and now everyone is mad because they actually have to do work.

    So, I am in a job where I am doing the roles of 4 people as one person. I do 3 main task areas in addition to doing finance for the entire department.
    via u/bobcat734
  • I've had no finance training. I just learned SAP by myself and can now do it with ease. I did work in finance before but with a different system, so if I'm honest it's pretty easy if you are switched on. I am very happy to do anything because I get bored very easily, though I've now realised that I'm doing 90% of the entire team's work.
    via u/bobcat734
  • I have started looking for another job because I think it's time I move onto something that uses my brain a bit more. (I have told nobody and they have no idea). Effectively, they are getting paid for me to do their work for them. While they sit around watching TV all day. So, I'm pretty much a one man band getting 5 people's salaries paid for them.
    via u/bobcat734
  • I've decided to throw a curve ball and slow down my productivity to see how management reacts. So far, they're absolutely losing their shit and everyone is running around like headless chickens.... So it proves that they're useless without me. "We are so busy it has been non stop"
    via u/bobcat734
  • No.... I just slowed down. But they're too stupid to realise that's what I'm doing. I can speed up at any time. It's just fun to fuck with people if they annoy me. So, after a hellish October holiday when I was the mug that covered for everybody and was then doing 5 peoples jobs, I decided to work at the pace of everyone else.
    via u/bobcat734
  • This week has probably been the most entertaining week of my entire work life. I have never seen management get so stressed. One of them even threatened going off with stress and I was like "Yeah, I don't get stressed, nothing matters". And he was like; "I can't deal with this".
    via u/bobcat734
  • Like bruh, it's literally been 3 days of you having to actually do your job properly and you can't cope at all. It made me realise how many people actually do F all, all day, while collecting a wage. It's truly insane how much waste there must be in companies.
    via u/bobcat734
  • A person looks stressed at his laptop in an office.
    via Vitaly Gariev

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • ItPutsLotionOnltSkin • 8h ago The only reward for hard work is more hard work.
    via u/ItPutsLotionOnltSkin
  • zenden1st • 7h ago . meanwhile HR,: "Unemployed Master's degree and 10 years in SAP, yeaaaahhh.. no. He has an unpaid jay walking ticket and hasn't worked in a whole month. Rejected" (I don't like his haircut)
    via u/zenden1st
  • TrogdorBurns • 5h ago Do you have vacation time? If you want them to make the connection take a vacation.
    via u/TrogdorBurns
  • seanugengar · 6h ago Hahahahaha! My friend that's exactly what I decided to do a few months ago. Same thing. Do I care? Not anymore cause I go back home relaxed and I know I'll be getting the same money if I do 2 tickets or if I do 10!
    via u/seanugengar
  • RideJackRide • 8h ago . "It's just fun to fuck with people if they annoy me." This is my anthem. Per the moves you are making, enjoy watching it spiral. Hopefully you find the right next position and sail right through the holidays into your next gig.
    via u/RideJackRide
  • FlareBlitzCrits • 4h ago . It's great that you're not being obvious about it. I'm sure it's tempting to rub it in your face but that won't benefit you. Keep working at your mid speed and don't do anything you don't have to.
    via u/FlareBlitzCrits
  • overitall71815 • 3h ago We have a saying where I work. "If you do your work, you get more work. If you don't do your work, you get a helper" and it is absolutely true!
    via u/overitall71815
  • Duke-Guinea-Pig • 4h ago I feel this. I don't have it nearly as bad, but I'm so tired of being the "just one more thing" guy.
    via u/Duke-Guinea-Pig
  • Watchguyraffle1 2h ago. Out of curiosity, how do you go about doing other people's job without them notice that you've stopped doing their jobs
    via u/Watchguyraffle1
  • mouldar 4h ago Not sure about your field, but you may consider finding a way to work independently. As in start your own business. If you have the energy and capability to learn fast and adapt, then you are wasting your time in corporate space.
    via u/mouldar
  • DuzaLips ⚫4h ago Lmao that's legendary. Nothing better than watching chaos unfold when people. finally have to pull their weight. You basically exposed the whole system just by taking a breather.
    via u/DuzaLips
  • Mistaamewmew • 4h ago Here is what you do. Speed up get everyone comfy again make your case as a high performer and ask for AN EVALUATION that reflects that. Then ask for more money. If that does not happen use your evaluation to find a better paying job.
    via u/Mistaamewmew
  • CastleBravo55 · 3h ago Once you start giving them extra work for free it's very hard to stop. And this situation is the reason.
    via u/CastleBravo55
  • voxam72 2h ago Please do an exit interview when you leave and tell the truth. Someone's head might explode.
    via u/voxam72
  • Starfury_42 • 2h ago I work at a helpdesk and was always in the top 3 call takers daily - but people who came in an hour later would have done half the calls I did by the time I left for the day. So I started to slow down for my mental health. I'd take time after each call to wrap up my tickets and there's a lot more bathroom breaks in my day. I'm still in the top 10 daily but no longer hitting #1 three days a week.
    via u/Starfury_42
  • As for your job hunt - don't say anything or let on you're looking. They don't need to know you have a job until you drop your "I'm leaving" note on the bosses desk.
    via u/Starfury_42

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boss antiwork workplace-stories toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working reddit story toxic-boss workplace reddit thread bad bosses Reddit toxic-work-environment
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