I know comparison is toxic, but how do you ignore coworkers who do less and earn more?
Posted by Raavan1393@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 34 comments
I work in IT and this has been bothering me for a while now.
I’m not saying I’m the best or anything, but I do put in effort. I try to learn, take ownership, get things done properly. But there are people in my team who honestly do the bare minimum, sometimes even less, and somehow they’re getting paid more than me.
And yeah, I know — “don’t compare”, “focus on yourself”, “your time will come”… I get all that. I even believe it to some extent.
But still, it’s hard not to feel frustrated when you see it every single day. It just gets to you. Makes you question if putting in extra effort is even worth it sometimes.
I don’t want to become that person who stops caring or starts doing the bare minimum just because others are getting away with it.
Just wondering if anyone else has been in this situation how did you deal with it without letting it mess with your head?
PsychologicalRun1911@reddit
Stop helping those people. They only exist because we all uplift them and cover for them and let them get away with it.
Superspark76@reddit
You do more and get paid less.
Sounds like you are not the smart one here.
Raavan1393@reddit (OP)
It’s not about doing more and getting paid less. It’s about a system where people doing the bare minimum are sometimes valued more than those actually delivering. That’s not a lack of intelligence that’s poor recognition.
MoominMai@reddit
It’s tough and a real test of your ability to internally regulate yourself 😑. I got a promotion a while ago to a team where two people already have the same job and grade and so we’ll be doing similar work. One of them is great and everything plus a bit more. Then there’s the other one who is almost clueless the entire time. They gravitate constantly to wanting to do internal admin type roles which if anything I as the newcomer to the job should be doing. I learnt soon enough why they were gatekeeping so hard. So we’re all managers in our field but he’s failed every qualification he’s ever attempted even the foundation levels. But worse they’re utterly hopeless at everything they’re asked to lead on and my jaws on the floor daily at their incompetence.
I also don’t like that the myself and the other person get assigned complex tasks but they manage to somehow remain doing very simple work which I’d actually argue doesn’t even need a lead. However the managers just accept it like it’s sort of quite endearing that they’re a bit simple. This is a job that pays 50 but I have to start about 48k and they’ll always be pains a few k more due to them being in the job longer - but it’s starting to make my boil boil a little when he contributes so much less than the rest of us and no one cares! So I feel your pain lol but other than grin and bear it I’m not sure what can be done.
hide_in_plain_sight_@reddit
I have some Qs. How are they getting away with doing the bare minimum is it a case of work smart not hard? Do you have a bonus? If so what’s the structure?
Raavan1393@reddit (OP)
We work in a team environment where gaps often get covered by others, so individual underperformance isn’t always visible. Despite that, there’s no real performance-based bonus just a fixed year-end percentage so the difference in effort and contribution doesn’t really reflect in pay
hide_in_plain_sight_@reddit
Therein lies the problem then. If there’s no performance related bonus what’s the incentive to put in the hard yards? I’m assuming the colleagues you are referring to have been at the company longer than you? Because of this they know how to play the system better than you do and yeh ultimately do less and get paid more. Does sound bloody frustrating! If I were you i’d be actively trying to find out how to get to the same position as them. Like straight up just ask them. If you cant beat em join em.
Naive_Reach2007@reddit
Or maybe theyve been shafted on pay rises so do the minimum as they dont feel there rewarded fairly
When i was 20s i worked for a company came in at 8am to beat traffic, ask for rise got told i need to stay till 5.30pm (it was 9-5) nothing happened after 5 but all the management stayed on to talk bollocks. (They all arrived 8. 50am)
Realised when i left i was doing effectively 13 months work for 12 months pay. Should have just sat in my car😁
SnooMacarons4225@reddit
I’ll see your issue and raise you - now they’re making people redundant and they’re keeping the lazy arses and kicking you out the door, management sometimes just have no idea what goes on, or just don’t care
CH4RL13WH1T3@reddit
These people often get their nose brown ass kissing managers and I don't consider the difference in compensation worth it. Ultimately, the world is not fair, don't overthink the moral aspect
onlywanted2readapost@reddit
I have someone at work like this. Always finds a reason to work from home, when he does come in he turns up a 9:30am, when he does work, it has to be corrected by someone else, and he gets away with it because he's mates with one of the directors. Oh, and he claims mileage to come to work so gets about an extra £9k just for turning up.
Paradroid808@reddit
Go work somewhere else for more money. My first place out of uni I worked for 16 years, still on standard 'engineer' grade despite being tech lead and software project manager on most of the projects I was involved with.
Performance reviews always looked like 'you're doing great, but what more can you do for us?'
One year I had enough and challenged back 'what have you done for me?' That's when they started talking about a possible grade rise.. the catch was that they were expecting me to put a case together over a couple of years and 'doing more' even though I was already doing way beyond the requirements of the grade.
Their mistake was stealthily bringing a new guy in on a grade above me (this was a small team.) He was competent but lazy.. very much a 9 to 5er with long tea breaks whilst I was busting a gut. Despite his senior grade, he was working on my projects with much less responsibility.
Threw my job in with nothing to go to and got something two grades and a load of cash senior. The joke? It was less work and expectation than at the previous job!
This was quite a few years ago. I don't recommend throwing your notice in without something lined up in the current job market which is very tough.
Swayfromleftoright@reddit
If you’re in IT, then change jobs. That’s the done thing to get a pay rise, and probably how your coworkers got their nice salary
Scarred_fish@reddit
Just do exactly that.
Ignore.
It seems to have become a forgotten "skill" but never has it been so important.
The moment you ignore something you gain complete control and nothing can ever bother you.
louwyatt@reddit
Relationships with staff, particularly management, can affect your pay more than skill. Understanding what your boss actually wants can also make a big difference, hint it's not always obvious.
Ok_Comfortable3083@reddit
If you can’t control it, don’t let it bother you.
You do as much or as little as you want.
Scared_Cricket3265@reddit
How do you know how much they earn? If it's them telling you could they be lying?
Zealousideal-Low3388@reddit
I also know people better looking than me or who have wealthy parents, or have nicer homes or more interesting lives.
And that changes nothing about my life or happiness. It’s not a zero sum game
Scared_Cricket3265@reddit
A good way to look at it.
TheCookieMonsterYum@reddit
I've come across people like that. Did the bare minimum but they are still in that job, I've moved on.
Hope this helps. Might take time but be patient.
ashakespearething@reddit
If you think you do the same job and have the same skills you put forward a case to your managers. If they say no, you move on to a new job.
Velo_Rapide@reddit
I had this for many years, not in terms of pay but certainly in terms of effort. It was a struggle but ultimately I made high effort at work because that's me and at the end of the day I just couldn't operate in another way, so it became a small source of internal pride. I can say how that would have been if there was also a pay gap, possibly insufferable...
BusyBeeBridgette@reddit
Comparison is the thief of joy. I just do the work. How other people do their work is not my problem or concern.
Esexboy101101@reddit
In my experience the better you are at your Job the less to uare appreciated because the Bosses want to keep you in that position.
Fit_General7058@reddit
The more you do, the greater the possibility of making an error. Looking at the error as a % of the work you do, it will be miniscule, however, they'll leap on you like you just caused their shares to crash to zero.
Look at the laziest person and force yourself to emulate them..
clbbcrg@reddit
You mind your business
Psychological-Bag272@reddit
Honestly, there's really nothing else you can do other than ignore them and focus on yourself. I have been in similar position where I feel like I am not being recognised and my colleague was getting more recognition despite doing similar amount of work. Even when I did something, he got rewarded more. I just knew I didn't belong there because they didn't see my worth. I used that energy to push myself out of there and to be where I belong which is a much better place.
This is kind of why I do not want to know my colleague's pay. I negotiate the pay that I'd be happy with and just stop thinking about it.
montyb752@reddit
Ultimately in the UK if you have an issue with the job you can leave. Apart from that, how much difference, if it’s a few £k then half that amount for tax. I work in a company that employs people in Scotland and England, there are different tax rates and different cost of livings so you need to take that into prospective.
Miserable-Record7514@reddit
OllyDee@reddit
You just ignore them.
mightypenguin66@reddit
Can't beat em, join em.
Dazz316@reddit
It really all depends. Payment is largely based on skill for a start. Someone with significantly more skills than you can paid a ton more because their can offer more than you, even if they do less work, that work can be harder to find the skills for and thus can demand more wages.
But I'm going to guess these people are on your level.
Either, go speak to your boss/HR about it or just accept that not everything in life is fair and just go with the cliche "don't compare and stuff. You either ask for equal pay or more, or you realise that what they make doesn't affect you.
DoctorWhofan789eywim@reddit
The best thing is to realize you cannot control other people only your reaction to them. Sounds glib but forget about them. They don't matter.
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