'Does anyone else feel weird about being too efficient at their job?': Employee finishes day's work in 3 hours, wonders what they should do for the rest of the 5

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Aug 25, 2026 10:00 AM EDT

What happens when you're too efficient at your job?

There is a fine line between being efficient and being too efficient. You want to be good at your job, but if you're too good at your job, then you might be left with more work and the same amount of pay. When you're just starting out, you're probably starting to define how you approach your job, and you're getting used to the tasks. When you're fully settled in, though, and you have the type of job that doesn't change a lot on a day-to-day basis, chances are you're going to get faster. You're going to get it down to a science, and that means that you're probably going to have some extra time at the end of the day. This is the nature of office work. This worker, though, was having a hard time figuring out what to do with all that extra time. He even asked his manager for more to do, but that didn't seem to go anywhere. It can feel bad to feel like you're wasting someone's time, but it's also a huge opportunity to do some work on your own time. It's a fine line, though, between doing what you'd like to do and disrespecting someone else's time. 

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  • A bored employee sits at a desk at work
    via Tim van der Kuip

    Not actual story subjects.

    A bored employee sits at a desk at work

  • Does anyone else feel weird about being too efficient at their job?

    So I've been at my current place for about eight months now and I've gotten really good at what I do. Like, I can finish most of my daily tasks in maybe three hours instead of the full eight. At first I thought this was great, but now I'm in this strange spot where I don't know what to do with the rest of my time.
    via LutherMadden22
  • I asked my manager if there was more work I could take on and she said she'd get back to me, but that was two weeks ago. I've tried looking busy, doing small improvements here and there, but honestly most days I'm just stretching things out so it doesn't look like I'm slacking. I feel guilty but also like... isn't being efficient supposed to be a good thing?
    via LutherMadden22
  • The thing is, I don't want to draw attention to how little time this actually takes because I'm worried they'll either pile on way more work for the same pay or realize they don't need someone full-time for this role. But sitting around pretending to work for half the day is driving me a bit crazy. I've thought about using the time to learn new skills or take online courses, but I'm not sure if that's allowed or if it looks bad.
    via LutherMadden22
  • Has anyone else dealt with this? How do you handle having way more time than tasks without making it awkward or putting your job at risk?
    via LutherMadden22

  • The worker in this story was caught between a rock and a hard place. He was good at his job, but he was almost too good. He was left with so much time at the end of the day that it felt disrespectful to his workplace. It was also driving him up the wall trying to figure out what to do with all that extra time. Sure, you can try to get into other projects, but you don't want to give the impression that you don't care about your job. This is a very common crisis for those with an office job, and this thread is all about folks trying to parse through that situation. Keep scrolling to read the full story and see what commenters said. 

  • Commenters gave their ideas and takes on this situation.

    Cocacola_Desierto this is just a lot of office. work in a nutshell They are paying you to be there in the event something happens during your time slot and you're needed. Not necessarily work a full 8, but be present a full 8.
    via LutherMadden22
  • I'd recommend audiobooks or if you do want to learn something, make it audio, so it's less conspicuous. Or get really good at organizing your monitors so it looks like what you're doing is work, however, that takes practice.
    via LutherMadden22
  • BeefJerkyFan90 Slow yourself down. You will become their go to person for more work, fixing other people's mistakes, etc. Look into some professional development stuff for your current role or see what trainings your company offers.
    via LutherMadden22
  • ItPutsLotion OnltSkin Learn more about your company. There are other departments before and after your department. Find out that they do and do it. Not to get extra work but to get extra skills. If you leave you will know more now than before.
    via LutherMadden22
  • Herredness16 Wow every place I worked would pile more on me as soon as I do dnt looked swamped. Ur probably overqualified and need to be in a more challenging position.
    via LutherMadden22
  • Two men sit next to each other in the workplace
    via Azwedo L.LC

    Model portrayal.

    Two men sit next to each other in the workplace

  • jpoitras22 I started my job like 3-4 years behind the workload so this has never been a problem. I get some downtime every now and then and no one really knows how long it is supposed to take me to finish things so I can strategize.
    via LutherMadden22
  • alwayslearning-2000 Ask your boss if you can take some Udemy courses on line. Maybe you can find some new best practices in your field that can be implemented.
    via LutherMadden22
  • Look for projects that can improve the overall bottom line. For example, Are there a bunch of cloud folders that need to be reorganized or cleaned out or possibly moved to a hard drive to pay less for storage. Projects like that are on
    via LutherMadden22
  • going and are important and appreciated to identify for your boss. As an owner of a company it makes me very proud of my team when they can identify ways to become more efficient. Including updating SOPs and processes.
    via LutherMadden22
  • lokiandbutters I literally left my last job a couple months ago because they didn't have enough work for me and i was bored. The other managers talked in the office for at least 1-2hours each shift because there wasn't really anything for them to do and what could be done they made the staff do. I'm the opposite and need to be busy at all times so i got out of there.
    via LutherMadden22
  • StorageAlive Can you work from home some time? A friend has this "problem" and she does these amazing diy projects all the time....
    via LutherMadden22
  • Pip1333 I work in a factory so when I'm doing my normal job I can go as fast as needed, but when I'm in another area when someone us sick I have to slow down cause I finish their job sooner than they do when they get into
    via LutherMadden22
  • trouble cause I'm more efficient, even though I tell them I'm not even going fast and if I go any slower I'll be undoing boxes, last time it's an 8 hour shift I was done in 6 so I got changed again and when in and helped in the factory got growled at and finished work and when home.
    via LutherMadden22
  • avomecado21 I think it's most of people's work. I can finish a week worth of work in one morning if I don't wait for anyone, but I have to drag them out cause my line of work needs to "wait for people".
    via LutherMadden22
  • I think it's a bad habit since it'll just slows you down so I'd suggest you to learn something extra when you're not working. Not showing your entire department you're learning, learn something secretly.
    via LutherMadden22
  • HabitNo8425 whole heartedly understand being too efficient for your own good, and as others have suggested, you will end up becoming the one-person team, handling 5 different roles if you keep asking for more. Wish "act your wage"
    via LutherMadden22
  • had been a thing back when. I would have saved myself a lot of stress. Because it's easy to take on the extra when you're not being hit with debris (the pop up tasks, the one offs, the failures of routine, the system outages, etc). But the more roles you take on,
    via LutherMadden22
  • the more likely you are to find yourself in a hurricane of conflicting issues that turn "staying a few minutes late" into a couple weeks playing catch up. Check your phone, read Reddit, leave up an excel
    via LutherMadden22
  • sheet, wiggle your mouse from time to time. Read a book, take classes on your phone, meditate. Try to setup your space or choose the space that makes you least visible to people.
    via LutherMadden22
  • Strong Raspberry52 I use any free time to build relationships with coworkers. Have lunch, go for a walk (or go solo), chat over coffee in the breakroom.
    via LutherMadden22

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