August 26, 2012
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Are You a Hard Worker?
You know what I noticed? A great deal of people out there are unwilling to work. And by “unwilling to work” I mean they are unwilling to give 100 percent day in and day out.
They are perfectly willing to go into work and just get by. They don’t push themselves to produce better results for their employers. They are not willing to stay after to get a project done. They do not work through their lunch break.
They are essentially punching a time card. They are not thinking all day long how to streamline so that they produce more. They never work from home. They never learn more about their job or what makes more money for their employer.
Are you a hard worker?
Comments (120)
I am (even though I don’t have a job yet) when it comes to school.
I always do my best. In the way you are talking about, it would totally depend on the job. I have been places where the others there did all they could to make my life miserable, and I was just punching a time card. I have been places where everyone worked together and there were only a few douche bags, and I was always willing to stay longer and do more if they needed me.
i agree with you.. a lot of times “feelings” get in the way (how your day is going/you feel tired/don’t feel like being here, etc.) but i try to get over that
Yup, just waiting for it to pay off.
I work hard… in the kitchen makin’ sammiches
not anymore. I used to be but then i reached the limit of my cost/benefit threshold and now i put in the minimum i need to put to get the maximum i can get.
Living to make more money for your employer is about the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. It’s a trap. You get nothing out of it, no compensation, they just expect you to slave for them, and when you don’t they call you lazy. It zaps your body, your mind, your personal resources for no reason but just helping a greedy CEO who is just living to play more golf. If you want 100%, start your own damn business and work for yourself.
That’s human nature I think, since most of the time, there’s nothing in it for you if you work harder, especially in retail or customer service. And forget working through lunch if you’re at a place that will fire you for getting too many hours because they don’t want to pay overtime.
I used to until I learned the hard way that it will get me nowhere.
They would call me at 3am to do maintenance stuff when I had to bike 7 miles to get there. I was just a sucker.
I did the same thing in the military. I went above and beyond and it got me noticed in all the wrong ways. I definitely paid for that one all right.
I will do exactly what everyone else does. If they don’t pay me, I’m not going to do it, and I won’t stay after.
I’ve been told at every job I’ve held that I have a very good work ethic. Even when it’s a job I don’t particularly enjoy, I’m always striving to do the best that I can do. Otherwise I just feel bad about myself.
I sure am! During my internship I even stayed late to finish data entry even if I knew it wasn’t due for a while but I wanted to finish it so I can help my boss with other projects. I even cleaned the two storage closets at work. Basically, I don’t stop til a task is done and I’m always waiting for a new one.
I used to work hard to prove that i was not lazy which is not a good reason. Lazyness is nobody’s business but our own.. More so, some jobs are so pointless and a nuisance to society that it is more moral not to work at all in these instances.
I could really RANT here on your blog right now Dan, but I’ll restrain myself. YES I’m a hard worker – I give 100% of myself to my job as a nurse when I’m there at work. Right about now I’m having HUGE issues with other people at my place of work – management people – who a) couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery and b) couldn’t care less. The frustration and anger I’m feeling because they’re preventing me from doing MY job properly is unbelievable. I see my work as a profession, and in England it seemed that we ALL did on the ward where I worked. I don’t know if it’s just the facility I’m currently working at, or whether it’s endemic in America (I really HOPE NOT), but I’m stressed and angry and frustrated to the point of handing in my notice.
And I’m banging the keys on my laptop so hard it’s practically jumping off my knee.
I have to say I’m a hard worker, I work hard because I feel it’s part of my task and simply my boss treat me well. When your boss treats you well, you just won’t complain working over time. I guess you need to have passion in your career, otherwise it’s just not the right job for you.
there’s a very fine line between what your describing and being a workaholic seems to me it would be a step up if we could get more Americans back to being zombie workers instead of just not having work
Before I became ill with schizophrenia, I was a hard worker. But now? I can’t work and it’s devastating to me. I’d work hard every day if it meant having my health back.
You know what I’ve noticed? People who give 100% and work through lunch and stay late and go in on their days off are often no more appreciated by management than slackers. I used to give 100% to my job that paid peanuts and had no benefits. I went in on my days off, I worked on holidays, I took my laptop with me on vacation so I could complete work and email it in. You know where that got me, Dan, and I’m still a little bit bitter when I think about it.
If I love what I’m doing then I don’t think about it. I love the job I’m doing right now, and I love putting in the time to get it done. I’m not as good a worker as I will be in the future, because I’ve only been on the job a few months. Once I figure out the company culture then I’ll be better able to be a more effective and efficient worker. I don’t ever use “perfect” as the standard. Excellence is what I strive for, and that I can strive for everyday. I can give excellence on the job today, and I can strive for more excellence tomorrow. Some days I have to work harder than others, but I like hard work, so it doesn’t matter one day to the next. I don’t measure myself by the standards of how others work. I try to encourage people to achieve their personal best. I don’t care if others are slackers or not, because they are not the standard for what I do. I work hard because it is my ethic. Character development is often the goal, even in the dead end jobs I’ve had. If I find myself just getting by, then it is time to find a new job.
I am a hard worker, I take myself seriously and I respect my employers. I believe hard work pays off, if not with acknowledgement of some sort, at least with the security of having a job and knowing I do the best I can at it.
I came soooooooooooo close to becoming just another corporate suit. In more ways than one, my mental illness save me from going down that path. I gave 100% to that job and it was leading me toward a life of destruction. But now that my only work is writing my book, I feel so much freer than ever before. Yeah I’m a starving artist now, but I wouldn’t trade who I am now(and will be down the road) for anything in the world.
I recommend Cestovatelka’s post.
i am an extremely hard worker. many people have told me that i care too much about my job and my students.
I am in business for myself.I have to give 100% all the time or I have no work.When work is caught up,I take a break and go fishin.
damn straight i am
i work on commission…
@CanuckFascist - Well – I had a little accident at work and later wound up in the mental ward. I think my Dad broke it out into a lifetime of compensation. I’m still not really sure what happened, but I write about it in my novel. Φ
Making teachers -ahhm- … ?? I guess there was a teacher I thought was pretty neat. She tutored me at home – but we didn’t get much schoolwork done. Kept play footsies.
By your definition, nope. My job is my job and I don’t take it home with me. I don’t hang out with coworkers after work, nor will I add them on facebook. I don’t work through lunch unless I’m leaving an hour early for some reason. I don’t like my job and it hasn’t been particularly caring toward me. Maybe my outlook will change if/when I ever get the degree-related job. But as long as I’m a receptionist doing clerical work, I just try to get through another mind-numbing day without losing my cool and suddenly snapping at people for being stupid.
@dw817 – The reason must be medical in nature. Either that, or your father managed to wangle money out of the government via legal means. Many people seek to scam our governments. I have called for my government to toss out of Canada immigrants who do this, and to indefinitely jail Canadians who do it. Such people don’t seem to understand they are not robbing the government. They are robbing the average Canadian citizen who works hard to pay taxes. I abhor such people.
@joyouswind - Ah, a breath of fresh air. Finally!
@CanuckFascist - I work in an elderly care/skilled rehab facility, and I’m fiercely loyal to the old folk I take care of. When I first started there two years ago, it was a place where the resident came first, and their care, and I was proud to be looking after people who had worked hard all their lives and deserve to be cared for to the best of my ability in their old age. We’ve had a change of management in the last couple of months who see the place entirely through the business model, and are running the place like an army boot camp to the point where long-term staff have quit and good nurses are being fired for totally nonsensical reasons to disguise the fact that the management are booting them out simply because they’re causing them a headache. i.e speaking out about the crap that’s currently taking place.
The Administrator is a wonderful woman who is as much for the residents as I am, and I’m hoping (and strongly feel that I’m right in my hope) that the current situation can be rectified and the facility brought back to what it used to be. If that doesn’t happen, then I’ll walk. But will feel like I’m deserting my residents to the wolves. It’s being between a rock and a hard place. I care about them, and what to see them doing done right by. And I’ll fight for that as long as it’s a tenable situation.
@light_blue_fables - Those who work hard do so generally because they are treated well by their employers. Those employers who treat their workers like shit usually end up losing those employees. These days, with the USA’s smashed economy, it is easier for the employers to treat their employees however they wish, since said employees can be replaced in the time it takes a CEO to snap his fingers. The stronger the economy, the better employees are treated. Such is the case here in Canada, where our economy makes a mockery of that of the American economy.
@mousepotato66 - I am very impressed with you. Someone who actually cares and respects our elders. You are quite correct in stating that they have spent their lives working and paying taxes. They should be properly treated. The fact you care means you are an honourable soul, unlike much of the garbage I run into on a daily basis. Truly, we need more people like you.
I daresay I am saddened that you live in a country where illness means profit.
My former contract manager busted her ass for my former employers when she was only getting paid for 20 hours worked. She wasn’t salaried, but they still made her work over 40 hours per week including weekends. You know what they did? They took advantage of that and treated her like shit. My boss fired her when they didn’t get a proposal one time even though it was their fault (they couldn’t compete with other contractors with better benefits than them).
I have to agree with what some of the other folks have said: what you’re describing here is a borderline workaholic… and that is simply unhealthy.
Also, working your ass off for your employer (@angelwingfive - says it best) in MOST cases is just plain stupid. Does that mean I think people shouldn’t work hard? Absolutely not. I think people should maintain a work/life balance …. and work SMARTER. In my experience, working smarter is what gets you recognized in the workplace anyways.
So much of what I have to say about hard work is dependent upon the circumstances. I’ve been in a situation where I was overworked because the management team in charge of my unit was bad. REALLY bad. So bad, in fact, it was really easy for me to identify what they were doing wrong. I wasn’t the only one being overworked, either. The entire unit was drowning and employee turnover was really really high. Does the company take care of its employees? Is the firm well managed? All of this matters.
I am intrinsically motivated and tend to perform well in most things that I do (partially motivated by my unhealthy desire for so much of my life to be perfect). I’m also very intellectually curious. If I don’t understand something, I will go out of my way to learn it (and learn it well). In fact, I’m happiest when I’m learning something new on a daily basis. I like to be challenged.
So, yeah, I guess you could call me a hard worker. But really, I aim to work smarter.
@CanuckFascist - Well, I see a psychiatrist every few months, a psychologist every week, and I’m undergoing voluntary electrical treatments every night as well as daily anti-psychotic medications and will for the rest of my life.
I do see things and hear voices and stuff, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Just makes you a better writer I think.
I was hired for the government because I type WELL, 135wpm 100% accuracy even if random digits & letters which is what was needed for my data-entry job. (I actually only type with 4-fingers cause I never learned to type).
I did have to sign something before I could work called, “The Nancy Principal – A Proposal For Savant Employees”
And yeah, my manager’s name was Nancy – but not really, it was something else she wouldn’t tell me.
Anyway, my Mom is the one I’m worried about – she thinks she’s the messiah to the new world and, well, she’s not gonna take any meds for it. I wish she would. I was writing about our conversations for a-while but now she’s off the deep end so I stopped.
At least my voices treat me nicer than hers. Susan is calling, she’s saying I need to get to bed. Nice talking with ya. Φ
by that criteria i am a very hard worker. on Wall Street i worked not from home but at home, the difference being i worked often on weeknights and weekends in addition to working working there to solve problems or continue on projects with tight deadlines without any expectation of compensation. i stayed late at work sometimes. i canceled vacation plans, taking a loss in cancellation fees after being told i was needed that week because i was the only one who knew how to do the job…which should not be the case in a big firm. i bought CorelDraw and Adobe Creative Suite out of my own pocket and spent the time at home to become adept in Photoshop, Illustrator and earlier, CorelDraw because our department needed work done in those programs. i was then asked to train others in NYC, Chicago, San Francisco and LA in all three programs.
i don’t hold it against people who haven’t done things like this. i rank in the world’s top 1 percentile in IQ and have the ability to learn quickly thus i’ve lived several successful careers. the four people who come to mind when i think of hard workers i’ve personally worked with include one white guy at Lehman, two black guys, one a chef and the fourth a Hispanic guy named Paul. the white guy never stayed late but he had a long commute and a family to take care of. he also saw the writing on the walls. i’ve personally known a number of women who worked hard too numerous to list.
@CanuckFascist - Thank you for that, I truly appreciate it.
I don’t know if it’s a “culture’ thing, but a lot of what America (in my short four years of living here) does totally goes against my grain. I think that although the “universal’ healthcare we enjoy back in the UK is much abused and costly, it’s the right way to go. If a nation doesn’t have the health of its citizens, then what does it have?
And no matter what country you live in, the elderly have paid into the system and don’t deserve to be thrown on the scrapheap and disregarded once they’re no longer “viable”. It’s like, “we might as well just shoot them”. How would anyone like to see their parent/grandparent/whatever treated like that?? It makes me sick. My husband keeps telling me “take your skills where they will be appreciated”. But the way I see it – if I can make a difference – then where I am now is right where I should be. Advocacy for those who can’t speak up for themselves has been a strong force in me since my days as a student nurse way back when.
@CanuckFascist - My former co-worker and I agree that it was partly her fault for letting them take advantage of her. Basically, they sort of started the company together from the ground up. She had a lot of connections and they made it happen. She was really expecting the company to take off, but the owners are shady. Right now, she’s better off. My former boss actually accused her of orchestrating my leaving the company recently. She had her attorney send my former boss a letter for a possible lawsuit.
You know the sad thing is that a lot of people are saying what you are describing in borderline workaholics. No you’re not. You’re just describing people who do a good job and care enough about their job to give two dams about it.
@mousepotato66 - You are absolutely correct about a nation’s health. I do appreciate people like you in our society, simply because you care. That alone makes you more valuable than a thousand bloody CEOs. I would like to take this moment to thank you for the care of our elderly, and to do so with pride. You are a godsend to them. If society could have more like you, then we would have fewer problems. Please, keep up the good work, if not for you, then for the elderly.
@Baseballchik138 - Hallelujah, an intellectual! My dreams have been realised! Hello there, darling.
@CanuckFascist - I will, and thank you.
@mousepotato66 - You are welcome. I simply call them as I see them.
I completely agree with you, and it pisses me off. People should be proud of the work they do, even if they hate their job. People should always put forth their best effort and complete every task to the best of their ability and continually strive to better their quality of work. Productivity in work is one of the most important aspects of one’s life, it brings fulfillment and pride in oneself. Even if you hate your job, you go home at the end of the day and know that you still did a good job. Not getting a congratulations, good job on every task you do is not an excuse to slack off, saying management doesn’t give a shit. No, a lot of times they don’t care about you, so as long as the job is done, and done well on time. But it’s for yourself to do a good job, more so than your employer.
I hated my job, but I still did excellent work. I hated management, but I still completed everything exceptionally well. The good work I did was rewarded by my fellow coworkers telling me I did something well rather than management, and that’s worth the struggles I put up with. I rarely made mistakes and never made the same one twice. I think it says something about people that so many do not hold this view and instead whine about this and that and slack off. Lazy work equals lazy life with no ambition. It doesn’t matter what you do, it doesn’t matter if you hate it. But do it well, always.
By your definition, no. I don’t want my life to be work. I’ll do my best on clock, but off clock is my time and I want to spend it how I please.
Yes I am.
Yes, I work my butt off every day. It has and continues to pay off though. I started Best Buy as a part-time sales associate and in 5 months interviewed for and got the full-time (with benefits) tablet and computer specialist position. Then a few days ago I had my yearly review and got the largest raise they’ve given anyone in years – about 6.5 percent.
I’ve found that sleeping with your boss works faster.
I like to think I’m a hard worker! I think it all depends on your job really. I love my job. I work at a family run deli, produce store, wine shop and catering business. I stay after hours whenever its necessary, especially during cleanup even if I’ve been at work since opening. Around the holidays we often work 15+ hours just to get everything done. I like learning new things in the kitchen and how to improve on the things we make. And I especially love doing my best to brighten up the customers’ days by being as friendly and helpful as possible! I love seeing regulars, new friendly faces, and even when grouchy customers come in. Those are my favorite though, because I can usually get them to the point where they leave with a smile on their face
Its such a bummer to me that I can’t work there year-round due to attending college in a different city. I’d much rather work there than anywhere else. I think anybody could be a really hard worker as long as they loved their job
sometimes at first, but then i slow down
I work it hard. Real hard. BOOM SHAKA LAKA!
I’d stay over time if they paid me, but since they are on a budget, then it usually isn’t approved unless necessary. they’d rather call in the other substitute person for regular pay to finish what the other person couldn’t than pay over time. I think the regular 8hrs per day is a hassle. I’d be able to stay awake to work 2 days a week for 20 hrs a day and get it over with than go 5 days. then I’ll work a 3rd day for another 20 straight hours if they paid me over time, but they likely won’t/can’t afford me
I won’t have energy to keep working if I work through my lunch break. at least have a snack bar nearby with all you can eat candy and ice cream. work 2 days, then relax for 5, but no, they have limits
sometimes there’s so much to do that I don’t have time to take a break. sometimes there isn’t much to do, so there isn’t really anything to do besides organizing the paperclip tray.
fuck yeah i am
lol…I really don’t find pleasure living in a rat race. Why would someone want to work through a lunch break?
My mom used to be a hard worker and she eventually grew tired of it. She’s been to the hospital tons of times just from so much stress and being overworked. Is it worth it? Nope.
no. i am NOT a hard worker.
Yes, I am during my scheduled work hours. But I don’t get paid for my lunch hour, and after hours work, so there is no point in doing it. Especially not when you have people who are sitting at work shopping online, personal banking, personal business of other natures, watching porn, playing solitaire, and getting the same salary I am for about 95% less work. If I work, you pay. Bottom line. My free time is just that, mine and free.
I am a hard worker. I think it’s a good policy to give 100% of oneself to one’s job. But to me that doesn’t mean working through my lunch break and sacrificing sleep. It means giving all I have within the time I am scheduled for, and resting and recharging properly when that’s done. Slaving through the day leads me to eventually give much less than 100%. That is counterproductive. I’m all for consistency, discipline, expanding one’s comfort zone. At the same time I think a driving-yourself-into-the-ground work ethic is a bunch of nonsense. Like someone said above, it’s a trap. Unlike that person said though, it’s a trap even if you work for yourself. You are still a slave if you are your own slave driver. And no one will reward or appreciate you for it.
I’d rather have a job well done, AND my sanity.
I am not a hard worker. I used to be, but not anymore. I grew weary of carrying the burden of other’s laziness on my back. I suppose now I direct more of my energy forcing those around me to work to their potential. Working smarter, working together, being dedicated to our craft, those are the values I try to instill in others. Sure we still work hard when necessary, but most of the time working harder is not the most productive or beneficial way to go about it.
I have noticed a cultural trend shifting our attitude toward laziness. Laziness of the mind as well as of the body. In such a society, anyone with a little ambition can become king.
@saintvi - that is so true. in fact there is a well known expression, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” which means those who gripe and complain are more likely to get raises and promotions. there are also expressions “brown nosing”, “kissing butt” and “just be a yes man”. if you want to get ahead in the world of bloated corporate bureaucracy you’re as or more likely to do so with those than by hard work. the real reason to give 100% is for one’s own sense of feeling good about him or herself. expecting to be recognized and rewarded for hard work is quite often a formula for disappointment outside the realm of very small companies. in the corporate world bosses are too busy kissing up to notice those below them. it’s not always the case but it is certainly not always the case that working hard will get you noticed. to make the point again, the right reason for working hard is to feel good about oneself at the end of the day and one can walk away saying it’s their loss.
I’m a hard worker but I leave before lunch time. lol
Damn straight. I work 40 hours a week and go to school full time. It’s stressful, but super rewarding. Also, I have no idea what I would do if it weren’t for work and school.
I do make monies for my employer, I am a hard worker, last month alone I collected $450,000.
I used to be exactly the kind of worker you describe. As others have expressed, that ended. It ended when I realized that I was just working to line the pockets of those higher on the corporate ladder who weren’t working as hard as I was or making the kinds of sacrifices I was. If anyone ever wants me to be a leader at my job again and make those sacrifices, I had better see them practicing what they preach.
At this point, I’m quite content to do the job I was hired for at slightly higher than the expected standard while I focus on getting my second degree. I’m also quite content to continue looking for a second job because the average wage has not remotely kept up with inflation over the past 50 years in part because of corporate greed and the lower prices on consumer goods are not enough to offset my decreasing purchasing power because our currency is continually devalued in part due to our country’s monetary policy.
Yup
I used to be the type that would work through his lunch break and stay late, just because. Over time I learned that I’m a human being, not a machine, and I do need personal time and a personal life. I need that not only for my own health and mental/emotional well-being, but because it makes the hours I am at work much more focused and productive.
I am also, over time, learning to actually accomplish the old cliché “work smarter, not harder”. For instance instead of working extra time to re-invent ways to do common tasks, I keep a personal code library to accomplish those tasks so I can concentrate on making the application really well built. I’ve definitely improved in my skills over the past year, and my bank account is a whole lot healthier as a result.
I once worked with a woman in a small corporation. She was an accountant. She often worked through lunch, stayed late, asked to come in on weekends and took work home with her. She saw herself as a dedicated hard worker. The rest of the corporation saw her as inefficient and slow.
Yes, I am. I recently quit a job that I had for three years, and my boss took me aside on my last day and told me how much my work ethic meant to him. To tell the truth, though, he made it easy. He was a great boss–a great person, just all around. And I told him that.
It made me kind of second guess leaving, actually. But it had to be done for scheduling purposes.
I’ve been considered an extremely hard worker in most of the jobs i’ve had, but i don’t feel like i actually get much out of it. As someone working in a restaurant chain, i’m helping make mediocre food for a faceless corporation that’s going to pay me a low wage regardless.
@UndyingNova - I actually knew one gal who did that and she became my boss!
I am definitely a hard worker, but what is a shame is most people really aren’t and the hard workers end up picking up all their slack, but its not like they can be fired because finding hard workers is too few and far between!
Nobody should have to work from home or work through their lunch breaks. Work should stay at work and breaks are necessary for your health. I work hard during work hours only (and have been told I have good work ethic) and only because I need money to get by. Life is too short to spend every waking hour working. Everyone’s going to end up dead anyway and all that work won’t matter much by then, so you might as well enjoy yourself as much as you can rather than work yourself into your grave.
when it comes to my retail job, i’m not the hardest worker of the bunch. it’s just not important to me. however, most of my income comes from my own business. i’m a self-employed instructor of sorts and it consumes my life. i let it consume my life because if i didn’t, my schedule would be disorganized, clients (and their parents) would find me unprofessional, and i would lose business.
My job is technically a “kids” job, but since it is in a casino, you have to be 18+ to work there. I’ve been there 3 years and can honestly say that I am the hardest worker at the place. Aside from the manager, but that’s obvious.
Yes. I’ve always been told I’m a hard worker and that I’m willing to give a lot. Unfortunately, my current job doesn’t have much room for personal growth or for job progress, it’s pretty dead end, but I still do my best and give it 100%.
Definitely!
… who am I kidding?
haha, no.
I’d like to think that I’m the above average worker, the hard worker; not the hardest, but definitely up there. I ask if I need to stay late for any unfinished work, I work through fevers, unless it makes my work unsafe (this past Friday), I work through breaks and sometimes lunch. I do jobs that scare the SHIT out of me, and jobs that downright piss me off. In the end, I do the jobs that I know will help the company, but most importantly, will get me recognized for my dedication and love for my work.
Some of these comments… I don’t know whether to laugh, or scream.
Here’s what your parents seemed to have not taught you, people. When you apply for a job, that employer doesn’t owe you that job. They are hiring you to MAKE THEM MONEY. That’s your job, that’s what you agree to do when you accept that job. No one hires you to sit on your ass, doing only the bare minimum, and not being concerned with making them a profit. You’re agreeing to be concerned with their profits, that’s what they are fucking hiring you for.
Oh, you think they make enough money, and you’re not going to help someone else get rich? Then go start your own fucking business and make yourself rich. If you can’t do that, then take what you get, and do your damn job.
“But they’re so rich, they don’t need any more money.”
Except that they’re in business to make money, and if you’re not profitable for them, they can easily replace you. Provided, of course, that your sluggard attitude doesn’t cost them so much that they can’t stay in business, and you end up without a job again. Either way, oops.
“But I’m so noble, I just want to help society, not become a millionaire” Then get a job at a non-profit. Then it’s a cause you can believe in, and you’ll probably work harder for them. But wait, isn’t that the same thing, since the hard work will contribute to the success of the operation?
No, working to make someone else richer isn’t stupid. Stupid is thinking that you deserve the paycheck you don’t earn.
I also find it quite telling that many of the people who are railing against “making someone else richer” are the same people that bitch about their inability to get ahead in life, and how the successful people just happened to have rich parents, or got lucky with their networking.
Derp
i am. im starting to think it’s not enough sometimes though! my jobs telling me i’m not good enough yet, but they’ll give me 17 hour weeks because they care and don’t want me to not have any income. i’m driving 40 miles every day i work, for what?! i’m starting to feel like life’s to short! i know that i am a hard worker because i already decided to get a second job.. just to make up for the hours im losing at my dream job.
Theo-Dan, being a slave is not same as being a hard worker. Nothing wrong with lunch breaks and not staying extra hours to finish a project. Those who work through those also get noticed by their bosses.
@Cestovatelka - That’s a good one
@dw817 - You have my respect sir
@KnightInCROATIANarmor -
Thank you… I worked very hard to create that comment 
i’m a stay at home mom………yeah i work pretty hard. i give it everything i’ve got. that’s why i’m sitting here at the computer and my son is playing video games. *high five!*
@Cestovatelka - I usually get stuff like that in my sleep while I’m working
honestly, not my best at my current job. well, that’s not true – i do still work very hard, work through lunch and stay late for no overtime. but, my heart is not really in it. i feel that my employer is dishonest and a real de-motivator, but it’s also in a field that i do not wish to pursue. however, when it comes to my studies and animation, i am a little ridiculous. i really hope i am able to attain a job in that field!
haha, we don’t do lunch breaks, we lunch together with the clients. I’m a social worker
, and yes i do think i give it my all.. As far as i think it’ll help.
I love working hard at my job. Because I love what I do. Everyday I think about how easy it would have been to just go to physical therapy school, become a doctor and earn big bucks quick. Thing is, I wouldn’t have had the heart to do that everday. There’s no adventure, variety or dangerous fun in that. You would be helping people exercise correctly day in and out. I have too much zest for doing research projects to succumb to the drag of a PT job. I like to give it my all and complete what I need to do for my job.
Hey
Absolutely not. I never had to work hard and have not worked at all for the past couple of decades
When I am working, I give 100%- no cell phone, no e-mail, no daydreaming. If I were in business, I would focus on generating money, as well as a quality product. Most of my life has been in the service sector, so my concern with money has been to use it wisely.
@dw817 - I was retired at 21 from the military.
I know it sounds delusional, but I still think I was some sort of experiment. I don’t know how I found that tape in the video store. That’s when I thought people were controlling my body, and I think they were. I also drank some weird orange stuff. That must have been nano stuff.
They said what they were doing to me was “child’s play.” I want in on that!
I know that they turned me into a deviant and then tried to reverse it as well.
It doesn’t mean I don’t seek revenge.
Not sure if that was a legitimate question, but yes, I work my ass off at my job. Employers will keep you as long as you pull your weight. Why would I pull more than my weight when I’m in a group of six – seven people lifting heavy boxes all day? I’d be the only one, and that’s not fair. Yeah, I might get an extra five cent raise, but really, that’s barely enough to notice in a paycheck.
@IntoTheWind1 - some of us are bitter. You have to ignore some of it because I still end up doing a lot wherever I go because I have pretty severe OCD. Once I learn a task, I do it obsessively. That’s why I can type so fast. That’s all I did for years. I’m a little slower after brain damage but not much slower.
I would have probably made a kickass factory worker. I’ve thought about doing vocational rehab in that area. Not many people can tolerate some of the stuff I can for hours and hours and hours. For example, I’ll write numbers everywhere for days.
I’m still waiting and hoping that these drugs kick in and trying to not be too distracted by revenge.
I gave it my all, and I got shit on a lot.
I come in late but I stay late. Work can be addicting and I was surprized that when I retired they could do without me.
@dw817 - Likely so. But alas it is not mine to keep.
I agree with@angelwingfive , and your definition of “hard” is a little …wrong. If your job is easy and you give all you can possibly put into it, it’s still not the same as a person with a hard job (e.g. construction worker or something else that is physically draning…or doctor, which is intellectually and emotionally and sometimes physically challenging too) giving what is required.
Just another example of you being the manipulative asshole that you usually try to be.
@Thatslifekid – Aww … That’s not fair, TLK. I wouldn’t wanna play that game. Φ
@Colorsofthenight - You too !! Nano … Ok, I’ve been trying to piece that together. I know I was given some kinna drink years ago, medical, and I know my intelligence shot straight up, but my emotional – stuff – didn’t, if anything it got worse. I attributed it to Anageria.
As far as revenge goes, I’m kinna the opposite. I seek to hurt no-one even those that have hurt me a lot from the past. It’s hard to describe. There’s just – nothing there – to get angry – about anything.
@Thatslifekid – If you collected half a million dollars in one month for working, likely you’re doing well at it.
@dw817 - I don’t have any emotion either, but I have the memory of it. It makes me exaggerate emotions because I try to feel them. Bupropion+prozac helps me feel something.
@dw817 - I never had that many emotions to begin with. I had anxiety and anger. Strangely enough, I can cry now, but I’m just making other people inside me cry. Putin gets to cry a lot. I remember that my dad shook me at a funeral because I didn’t show emotion. I couldn’t cry. My grandma also reports that after being a baby, I didn’t really cry.
On another note, I notice a bunch of people taking pride in “doing other people’s job”. I don’t buy into it the way they want me to, bc we all act in our own interest. So what do they want? …I guess they want sympathy and a pat on the head. Or a raise in wage, but in hat case they should be happy that others are “lazy”.
That made me think of a book on how to be succesful that I read, and three things that stuck with me:
- assert yourself (that also means to ask others to do their fair share, by explaining the consequences for you and them)
- don’t “hamster” but contribute your ideas immediately and work together, you can indeed profit from their contributions and from asking for help
and most importantly in his context:
-focus on being productive not on being busy.
@Colorsofthenight - Well no, I’m not like that. I =CAN= cry, a lot it seems too. But I can also bounce off the walls and be hyper-happy and stuff. I’ve never been – neutral, ever.
Anyways, this post is about Hard Workin’ so I will mention I have worked in the past. I remember some of the first jobs I had, one was stocking an entire grocery store by myself which took well over 8-hours.
I did security work years ago and did 12-hour shifts – so anyways, I guess I worked hard. But now I don’t have to and I’m glad for that.
The best job I ever had IMHO was working for McDonald’s. That boss there really cared for me and told me what to do and I did it and we got along great and – I guess I’d still be working there if it wasn’t for the fact Dad told me to stop working there and come home again.
The government job was a fluke. I was placed 3-levels underground working on a floor with over 300 women. I was the only guy so I had my own manager – I guess – to keep me outta trouble, and that’s when I signed the Nancy Principle Proposal thingie. Then things got weird.
@dw817 - I’ve had a lot of jobs too. I was let go from McDonalds because I was too slow. I’ve worked a lot of food service. My jobs were pretty good. I never get along with people, so sometimes I say I hated them, but I just hate people. The only job I’ve really hated was cleaning the bilge because the fumes messed with me, and I got seasick. There needs to be a way to reclass people when that happens.
It’s too late to test me for that kind of stuff, but the doctor thought that might have played a role in it. I mean, I’ve had issues in the past, so I’m not for sure. I bet my brain is more sensitive to injury. There were a lot of things that could have happened because I hit my head multiple times on the job and I also threw up constantly both from bulimia and from being seasick. My mom doesn’t understand how I’ve hit my head so hard and lived because her students died from lesser impacts.
Then they came with their weapons on top of it. I think they might have chosen because I was psychotic and they wanted to see what would happen. That definitely did happen.
I understand you with emotions because you can still express them, but they might not have the same meaning to you. I can’t feel them very much. I can’t feel crying deeply either. I can just do it now. In my natural state, many people get mad at me for not having the same emotions. I go straight to rage.
If bupropion and prozac help me to improve, I’m going to try vocational rehab. I have to volunteer first. I don’t want a false flag though because I’ve only been stable for a week. Sometimes, they work and then stop.
I’ll have to move to Arkansas if I want to work again since that’s where the closest program is.
@dw817 - what was the “Nancy Principle Proposal” thing?
@Colorsofthenight - Going Private message with you.
I was thinking about this today. I would be dead if I didn’t work hard. Or lying on a mat on the floor, in a dark room of a state psychiatric ward. I may not be a doctor or a lawyer of sorts but it’s amazing at times that I am even alive at all. I went through some really rough times, and it’s not till now, when I am starting to see the tail end of them, that I am starting to notice how hard I fought to stay alive.
if it’s worth my pay, absolutely. no one should slave away for an employer that doesn’t appreciate their employees. this isn’t the freakin’ Middle Ages.
@IntoTheWind1 -
“ Stupid is thinking that you deserve the paycheck you don’t earn.”
that depends on how big the paycheck is. i make $9/hour. for my position, that’s pretty low as far as the industry is concerned. so, i’m only going to work as hard as i think $9/hour is worth. there’s no reason for me to do more, because i won’t get anything out of it. why are business owners the only ones who are allowed to be selfish?
I do not believe in working for no pay. That means I come on time or slightly before, and I leave once my pay stops. If I am not paid for my lunch break, I will not be working during my lunch break. If I am not paid for doing work when I go home, then I will not be. I am not a slave, I am an employee. I will work my ass off only during time for which I will be compensated.
Anyone who does not work solely for their self(/family)-interest is going to be used like a doormat as an employee. The workplace is the most ridiculous setting to show any kind of altruism– not to be confused with doing what’s expected of you and showing meticulous care in a way which will get one noticed or advanced by superiors.
I tend to reward people who treat me well with higher quality of dedication on my part. Mutual respect. This is due to my self-interest being my highest priority.
@KnightInCROATIANarmor - Well – I don’t know if you should give me too much respect. Basically I’m a 7-pointed screw somehow fitted into a 6-pointed wedge. But since people have been stepping on me all this time – I don’t think I can get back out again – so – I’ll just stay where I’m at.
That describes my life pretty well. Φ
@dw817 - It’s all cool man
I work my ass off. I never want to be put into a position of having to look for another job. (I have not called in sick ever, for the past 25 years)
I will not get laid off, or fired.
I am an incredibly hard worker. I blame my dad. He is a work-a-holic. I am all about working hard so I can stand out. Which is astonishingly easy to do these days. So many lazy people in positions that they don’t deserve.
The current rules of xanga state that you are not permitted to make observations about others’ behavior, especially concerning their work ethic. Get in line.
First of all, working through lunch does not a hard worker make. It’s makes a stressed, burned out worker. But as for me. I work so hard and so fast that it comes out a combination of the two. Ha-fast.
I try to be the best that I can be at work and do the best that I am able to.
i am a hard worker. i’m dedicated and think outside the box to solve issues for my boss and minions. yes i just called my underlings minions.
the shit aspect of that is that people take advantage of that fact. my manager totally passes everything off to me because she knows absolutely nothing.
the moment shit gets to real for my minions they bitch and complain and i end up picking up the slack.
i get acknowledged of my hard work by an occasional ‘good job’ but the company is either unwilling or unable to promote me. i don’t care at this point which it is. its demotivating and im struggling to find a reason to stay.
i believe that most people do so due to the fact that they are NOT in their dream job. and not getting enough motivation from their employer.
I always did what I was paid to do… But taking work home, working through lunch? Bull crap… It’s not a friendship, it’s an employer… One that will fire you after you work your fingers to the bone and could care less about your family, your needs. You get what you pay for.
Given the options above – Yes I am a hard worker and loyal to the cause…