'I am doing the work of 3 people': Top employee gets passed over for promotion

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Mar 5, 2026 11:00 AM EST

The better you perform at work, the more responsibility you get. And no, you won't get paid more. 

Hard workers get more work, while slow, lazy workers keep the same amount. It's one of those unfortunate paradoxes of the office, and it's an easy way for the best and brightest workers to burn themselves out. 

This is something that people often find out early in their careers. If you complete your daily tasks by 11 AM, and you inform your boss of that, they won't give you a pat on the back and a smile. They will frown. Then they'll give you plenty of work to keep you occupied for the rest of the day. You'll certainly grow to resent this additional work, because they won't be giving you any extra money for your extra work. 

Advertisement
  • Busy worker talks on phone while typing on laptop at the same time, looking stressed out.
    via Getty Images

    Busy worker talks on phone while typing on laptop at the same time, looking stressed out.

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

  • Being punished for effective at work

    Being punished for effective at work I was initially working as a vendor for an organisation after 6 month client hired me on there own payroll due to my work quality, after my hiring client onboarded another vendor for development and testing work also from a major company.
    via InternationalCake766
  • Now the newly onboarded vendor has one of the female team member who overlook her responsibility, take uncounted leaves, always do WFH with her kid creating nuisance, misses many test cases in prod and non prod, her manager from vendor side tries to pushes her own work to me always to give second eye or take up her work as she is going on leave, as a senior team member from client side when I raised all these issues with my own manager he ignored it even after my complaints with proofs, when I c
    via InternationalCake766

    By "give 2nd eye," I believe they're saying that she's asking for someone to double-check their work. So basically, this WFH woman is juggling a lot, and this person is expected to check on her less-than-stellar work. 

  • I don't ask her to give 2nd eye on my tasks. Whenever any prod issue came I was expected to support even after office hours, no one call her.
    via InternationalCake766
  • Even top stakeholders in project call me to ask anything anytime. Now biggest thing when I explained that colleague behaviour to my manager he said ignore as she has child to take care, One of her relative passed away last year bla bla and other things.
    via InternationalCake766
  • One one hand he said do work for 8 hours only on the other hand he keep on assigning the work daily for at least 13-14 hours like load.
    via InternationalCake766
  • I am doing work of 3 persons double in my project and responsibilities of other additional project also.
    via InternationalCake766
  • What shall I do I am not afraid of work I am only concerned due to behaviour of my manager who is favoring that lady unnecessary and she is given salary to do half day work only.
    via InternationalCake766
  • Even top management recommended for my promotion but he ignored. What I got to know that as I log very effective bugs and vendor team and my manager is p ed off from me as they are being questioned by top management that why there is a requirement miss initially?
    via InternationalCake766
  • 3 workers leave after a long day of work.
    via Getty Images

    3 workers leave after a long day of work.

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

  • This is not a good position to be in...

    Why don't this issue is tackled at requirement level? So my manager thinks that now i am problem for him due to my work quality and top management knows my work efficiency.
    via InternationalCake766

    This employee is somehow both overworked and also on their manager's nerves? That is a very bad position to be in in any workplace. You need to make your manager look good — you want them to vouch for you, after all. 

    It's interesting that the manager favors the other worker… I wonder if this person is so busy putting their head down and getting tons of work done that their demeanor is offputting to the others they work with. 

  • I can't reach to top management directly on this. What shall I do I don't want to change the job as compensation policy is good in organisation?
    via InternationalCake766

    That's the problem with being a superstar employee — you're not going to get paid like an A+ worker. You're going to make exactly the same salary as everyone else doing your type of job. The B+ and C- workers are cashing in the same paycheck every 2 weeks, and they're still getting to enjoy their lives outside of work. 

    However, this person will have to be cautious how the approach this situation. If they just stop trying, they might get PIP'ed, or even laid off. Best to just have another job lined up, both as security or as a bargaining chip to attempt to get a raise or promotion here. 

  • People came in with good advice!

    liverswithfavabe... Start looking for another job right now.
    via liverswithfavabeans

    Maybe this person's ambition will be better appreciated elsewhere. 

  • Top_Spell3657 Slow down a bit. Work within the team flow instead of faster. The more efficient you are the more work they give you, and the more bad their work looks compared to you. Don't work overtime and give excuses that you also have family to help outside work hours. Ask for
    via Top_Spell3657
  • help or additional people if there is too much work. Being a superstar will only make people give you more work and get mad at you when they cannot keep up your pace and you are pressuring them to also work faster. You need to be in sync with the work flow of your team, not ahead of them as it causes the problems you listed.
    via Top_Spell3657
  • InternationalCake766 OP Actually they are super slow in work but yes I agree with you
    via InternationalCake766
  • Busy workers view iPad together while other workers hurry past them.
    via Getty Images

    Busy workers view iPad together while other workers hurry past them.

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

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

raise money workplace story
Scroll Down For The Next Article