22 Workers shared the thing that made them finally stop caring about "going above and beyond" at work—It is often seen as an important trait, but when should you stop?

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  A demotivated worker slumps at his desk, head in his hand. 

  _{Model representation.}

• A BBC article from 2022 theorized that "Going above and beyond" was now all but a requirement for workers, amidst jobs that demand more of staff and pay less. Layoffs and hiring freezes are forcing more work onto fewer staff, and then doing it again.

  Other experts, like Jordan Harbringer, have similarly advised that while you should seek to go above and beyond at work— you should also know when to pull back. Choose to push back or decide to leave when you realize that your good faith and extra work are being taken advantage of.

  Employees adjust their effort based on what they see around them. If you've gone above and beyond for long enough and see everyone else collecting the same paycheck without doing so, and see that it's getting you flat out nowhere.

  I don't think organizations really realize when they're doing this sometimes,  but they basically train their staff to stop caring.

  It can come in so many different forms too:

  • Reporting problems that never get fixed.
  • Recommending improvements that never get done.
  • Having their input outright ignored. Repeatedly.
  • Asking for training and growth that is promised but never eventuates.
  • Fixing problems without recognition, even being blamed for not putting that effort elsewhere. Trying to step up and take initiative only to be ignored while decisions are made elsewhere against their better judgment. Only to have the mistakes swept under the rug when they don't pan out.
  • Nonsensical promotions to employees who don't deserve it because of things like nepotism.

  Let's be honest, we've all seen these things play out.

  If people don't see that their efforts aren't appreciated or don't make a more meaningful difference, it's only natural for people to want to conserve their energy and efforts. Learning and adapting are, after all, very human traits. And AI hasn't replaced all of us yet.

  At a certain point, too, you see that your efforts won't save you from the threat of outsourcing and automation. It gets hard to give your work that extra push. What's the point? Really?

   

  The following is a collection of testaments from real workers who shared the thing that finally made them stop putting in the extra effort.

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  A stressed worker presses his fingers to his eyes at his desk.

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  An anxious worker massages his temples at his desk.

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