Work Hard or Die Trying!

Don’t worry, it’s just a side effect of capitalism.

Photo by Isi Parente on Unsplash

“Don’t rush!” my supervisor keeps telling me. “You can take your time. This project doesn’t need to be done for a while.”

Whenever I hear this string of sentiment, I have a hard time not giving the side-eye.

I’m not making mistakes. I’m efficient. I’m at the point where the boss of my department is now “sharing” me between my regular supervisor and another who is swamped with tasks.

The truth is that society has taught me to be this way. “Work hard, and your dreams will come true” — isn’t that what the United States has told generations of individuals? Why are bosses so surprised when we do follow this strict code of professional honor?

I remember working retail and being praised by my managers when I’d be able to get customers through the line quickly during the holiday rush. Putting stock out, merchandising displays, cleaning out fitting rooms — all of these things were greeted with smiles, particularly when the jobs themselves were done in a speedy fashion.

Now I’m working something that is a step down from a typical 9-to-5 position, and I can almost sense that my supervisors want to tell me to slow down. Some days it seems like they don’t have enough work for me to do. There are some…