A Mumbai man explained how Gen Z has finally cracked the ‘do more, get more work’ cycle, saying several young employees were opting out as high performers were often rewarded with more workload instead of recognition.
The incident was shared by Nishant Joshi, a Mumbai-based professional, on LinkedIn. In his post, he opened with a hard-hitting observation: “The biggest punishment in the corporate world right now isn’t getting a bad review. It is the absolute trap of being a highly reliable employee.”
He then narrated the experience of his brother’s flatmate, Rahul, a designer known for completing his daily tasks far quicker than others at his agency. According to his post, Rahul would typically finish his assigned work by 4 pm, while the rest of his team took until around 7 pm.
Instead of being rewarded for his efficiency, his manager began assigning him additional tasks, specifically the unfinished work of slower-performing colleagues.
When Rahul raised the issue during his performance review and asked for a raise, citing that he was handling double the workload, he was told that it was simply part of being a “good team player.”
Calling out the system, Joshi wrote, “In the modern workplace, the only reward for doing great work is just more work.” He then added that companies often overlooked underperformance while placing extra burden on efficient employees, saying they “actively punish the high performers by dumping the entire department’s weight on their shoulders.”
He also linked this trend to changing work attitudes, writing, “This is exactly why Gen Z has completely stopped going above and beyond. We are not lazy, we just figured out that being a superstar only buys you a fast track to burnout.”
He then urged leaders to rethink their approach. He wrote, “If you want someone to do the work of three people, you need to pay them three salaries,” adding that organisations should stop treating their most efficient employees like “a free dumping ground for bad management.”
In a positive turn, he shared that Rahul eventually left the agency for a better opportunity, where his efficiency is respected. Instead of being burdened with extra work, he now logged off on time and spent his evenings with family and pursuing personal interests.
The post received a whole lot of attention for its relatability , with professionals sharing similar experiences and frustrations.
Some users pointed out that being good at one’s job often resulted in becoming the default backup for others, adding that reliability could gradually turn into being taken for granted rather than appreciated.
Others agreed with the idea that excelling at work often led to burnout, adding that high performers usually carried more pressure than those who took shortcuts, despite being among the most valuable employees.
A few commenters also observed that this was not a new phenomenon, saying that such workplace dynamics have existed across generations and were not limited to Gen Z alone.
All in all, the post reignited discussions about productivity, recognition, and fairness in corporate environments.