Is hard work rewarded?

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Zealousideal_Lack936@reddit

Generally speaking, no.

The best way to get ahead is by personality/scmoozing. Technical knowledge and ability is meaningless in most cases especially once you enter managerial positions.

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emclean782@reddit

Life can absolutely fuck you over, but hard work is still a good path to success. Luck plays a roll in it, but the harder i work, the luckier i have been.

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4x4Welder@reddit

Working hard means more work added in most cases. The stronger mule pulls the bigger cart.

Do what's expected of you, occasionally be the hero and make an 11th hour save for something that actually matters, but don't overdo it.

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Express-Studio-8302@reddit

There seems to be this pervasive attitude in America that hard work is ALL thats needed. Its usually a very important factor. But it isn't the only one.

We all know people who havent worked worth shit and they skate through life. We also all know people who shownup every single day and are simply unlucky.

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Pitiful_Hedgehog6343@reddit

This is reddit so you will get mostly lay about whiners answering.

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Bobby_Globule@reddit

I know they don't pay teachers enough.

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skoltroll@reddit

I know that my local teachers who say that tend to be the worst teachers. So while I wholeheartedly agree, I also believe shitty teachers should get sent packing, just like any other profession.

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soundacious@reddit

Have you actually talked to teachers who don't feel that they deserve higher pay?

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If you apply yourself to a job for the purpose of acquiring skills then it can work. Especially if you have possible plans to work for yourself in the future. But then you're not really doing it for your boss, you're doing it for your future employment prospects.

Making the most of a job opportunity is very different from being a 'people-pleaser'.

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skoltroll@reddit

If you think the answer is "yes," you are naive.

If you think the answer is "no," you are doomed.

I tell my kids this: 1) Find something you're good at that people need doing. 2) Be the best you can at it. 3) Budget your money. You'll be fine.

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rochvegas5@reddit

so #2 is basically "work hard"

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rochvegas5@reddit

yes. i will always advocate to work hard for what you want

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tanhauser_gates_@reddit

I only know hard work and the payoff.

Skipped college and bounced job-to-job for years. Fell into something that stuck.

Make more now than most in my family. Own a house in a HCOL location.

All on a barely passed GED.

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garagehaircuts@reddit

No

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EffortZealousideal8@reddit

It’s all about who you know. Nepotism is alive and well in 2026.

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Ben_Frank_Lynn@reddit

No, hard work does not pay off unless you work for yourself. Otherwise you're just slightly improving your employers' margins. Employers, in my experience, would rather pay as little as possible to keep great workers even if it means losing them and having to replace them with two people. Managers love this because it puts more people underneath them so they themselves look more important. The minute your employer knows you wont leave, they will use you until there's nothing left and pay you next to nothing for it. Develop a skill and go into business for yourself.

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Maleficent_Ad_5175@reddit

At a glance it looks like it says ret@rded.

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cownan@reddit

Intentional hard work is rewarded. If not by your current employer, then by the next.

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Scpdivy@reddit

Did for me. I was able to retire a few years ago, at 53.

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TheNexxuvas@reddit

It hasn't for me.

Ive literally been told to my face, why would we ever promote the guy who works so well in his current position we would lose money?

I only got a supervisor position because of right time, right place, and it only lasted 5 yrs because they would not promote me beyond that.

I went back to work in tech from my supervisor position and it was purely from frustration and low pay for how much work was piled on me and taken off of people who got promoted above me, that even came after me.

I continue my work ethic of hard work and being a team player, but I've given up trying to get promoted. It recently happened again, a guy joined our group, and got promoted before 3 of us, long in the position in our group, we trained him, and now he is our lead.

Case in point, I have skills that haven't even been tapped into that almost make me overqualified for some of the Director level positions at my company, paying about $30-50k more than I make now with my gobs of weekly OT, yet as an experiment, I applied for something similar to my current job, just in a different dept, and it does a little less than my current position does, and I didn't even get a call, an IM over teams, or even an e-mail rejection letter.

Lesson learned.

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affectionateanarchy8@reddit

I feel like this has to depend on what end of gen x you're on. If youre 60 yeah hard work orobably paid off. If youre 47, probably less so.

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WalnutTree80@reddit

It gets rewarded by having other people's work piled on top of ours.

I'm 56, have been working since I was 18, and that's been my experience at every job.

Nowadays, I make sure to stay well within the circle of mediocrity. Not so much that my mediocrity is noticed, but enough that I'm not the "go to" person for everything anymore.

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HammerMeUp@reddit

I had a boss completely ignore the fact that since people don't pull their weight and she tried to spin it around it me that I should "make up the slack because that's what good workers do". My reply was "no".

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theghostofcslewis@reddit

It has always paid off for me, but I do long for the life of Riley.

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UnhappyReason5452@reddit

gif

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ratmash@reddit

In my expierience it gets rewarded with more work. Because whoever gave you the work sees you can/are prepared to do it, so they see how much more they can squeeze out of you and how much further they can take it before you snap.

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ComprehensiveShip720@reddit

I’m in a white collar sr middle management role. I’ve typically been a top performer and usually receive an “exceeds” rating which historically translated to higher bonuses and higher merit (base salary) increases. Nowadays, top performance is often met with verbal praise while financial incentives are kept in line with “standard” performers. YMMV.

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HighBiased@reddit

Nope. Billionaires exist and they don't work a billion times harder than carpenters or teachers or plumbers, etc.

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Historical_Project86@reddit

It's not all chance, but it's not true that hard work always pays off. It just CAN pay off, as can not working hard.

The American Dream, as it has been presented to me, was a sham and still is a sham. It's not "anyone can do it", it's "someone will do it, and it may not be you".

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Japhet_Corncrake@reddit

To an extent, but not to the extent many believe, and it's not the be all and end all of success.

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DjQuamme@reddit

What do you mean still? It never has.

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JThornwriter@reddit

No.

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Consistent-Tie-4394@reddit

Opportunities largely depend on blind chance (though who you know or are related to can influence those odds). That said, hard work will put you in a position to take advantage of opportunities if and when they finally come knocking.

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theyFOOLEDmeJerry@reddit

Hard work, determination and diligence paid off for me. I was blessed to be aware of my gifts and how to maximize them for my benefit early in my life. That plus an older sibling who was a complete disaster so I had an anti-role model.

I sometimes marvel at this fact: when I was 15, I had no drivers license or job. Within 10 years, I had an engineering degree and was licensed as a professional engineer and on the cusp of buying my first house. That was a wild 10 years !

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DontonioWingfield@reddit

Hard work gives you a leg up over those who won't work hard. I've gotten many promotions and risen up in several industries just being willing to hustle and do what others wouldn't.

Does it pay off?

That's very situational. The hardest workers I know don't make all that much, and often work a couple jobs just to get by.

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MrRetrdO@reddit

I say "Yes" but I add, find something you really like to do & are good at. Also helps if it's in demand and can't be automated.

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teddysetgo@reddit

The last thing Gen X is known for is hard work. They’re the slacker generation.

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Evianicecubes@reddit

You can’t imagine how much work I put into seeming like I didn’t care

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Wild_Read9062@reddit

I work hard at absolutely everything because it just feels natural. I don’t see the point in not putting everything into the activity I’m doing- regardless of whether I get paid. I want to know I put everything I had into the moment.

That said, I don’t care what anyone does beside me. I’d the want to work hard- cool. If they want to take it easy- cool. I know who I am and that’s good enough for me.

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aran_maybe@reddit

Hahahahaha this sub is hilarious sometimes.

This is us:

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73rd-virgin@reddit

I thought we were supposed to be lazy and good for nothing.

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sly-3@reddit

I prefer "the most amount of money for the least amount of work".

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Fight_Tyrnny@reddit

Yes. I grew up dirt poor in the getto of our area. Hard work got me where I am today. Our generation is the last to understand this. Im tired of hearing the whinning of younger gerations about work. I remember making 3.05 an hour 8.5 today at Taco bell when I was 15.5 years old. I got Clinton erra college discounts and then 25 years later I was the director of IT at that college of 16000 students. I SUFFER hard health issues today such as moderate lower back arthritis from my 5 years in the UPS sweat shop hubs to get through college.

This work ethic has been lost

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ConversationBoth6127@reddit

Yes and no.

Professionally, up to a certain point. Once you hit that point-which is different at every company-all it’s going to do is get you more and more stress.

Personally, absolutely. Putting hard work into the things I’ve actually cared about has been the most rewarding thing in my life.

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MhojoRisin@reddit

Nothing special about working hard. Just get the job done.

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Icy-Astronaut-9994@reddit

No.

I dislike quoting Bill Gates but:

"I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it".

Where i have worked it is all Nepotism.

If I try to find my supervisor he is basically figuring out how much his Magic Cards are worth on any Givin day.

My only reward was investing well, or lucky as the case may be.

This gives me an out as I no longer need their money, and don't fucking care about the job.

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thagor5@reddit

Yes. Made a lot of money working. Hard and promoting. If you aren’t getting promotion for not just hard work, but hard work that yields results, then get a new job. I am a boss and always promote those that accomplish results.

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rev_adhd@reddit

I have found that the reward is more work.

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freddieguts@reddit

Usually so someone else's load gets lighter. Oh, and you get to watch them complain with less work to do.

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diamondgreene@reddit

It’s a balance between proving yourself and knowing when to pause and negotiate the payoff. If you keep “proving” yourself they’ll keep letting you do it for free.

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7figureipo@reddit

What do you mean by “pays off”. You can Google it yourself: there are numerous studies showing the correlation between being born into wealth, born with genes that make you conventionally attractive, etc.—basically pure luck—and career success.

Hard work always matters. It is rarely what “pays off,” other things being equal.

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KingPabloo@reddit

Hard work is only half the equation, smart work is the other half. Hard work alone gets minimally rewarded. Hard/smart works is what pays off.

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ChicagoDash@reddit

Throw in a little luck as well. It is really hard to pick yourself up after working hard and getting the shaft, but unfortunately, that happens.

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inode71@reddit

Hard work + advocating for myself was the winning formula for me.

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Dillenger69@reddit

Hard work you do for yourself, without expectation of external validation, is rewarded.

Hard work done for someone else is not rewarded most of the time.

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reapersaurus@reddit

No.

Here's the proof:

For some people, hard work was rewarded for them. However, this could have been because of a variety of other factors, so it's a 50/50 example.

For other people who did hard work but weren't rewarded, it also could have been because a number of factors ; however, since they did hard work and it didn't reward them, we can conclude that hard work is not rewarded (at least in comparison to those other factors).

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drunkenknitter@reddit

Work smarter, not harder. But I have a shit work ethic so your mileage may vary.

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Iam-WinstonSmith@reddit

Exactly I have never told any to work hard. There are plenty of ways to get a lot down and accomplish a lot without doing that. Having said that ... I do believe in doing it in Sprints.

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Cykoth@reddit

Hard work and persistence ALWAYS pays off. But you’re never going to make a bunch of money doing jobs that just don’t pay. So you need to study and figure out what does pay and what you can do and then achieve it.

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islandbeef@reddit

An elderly consultant once told me, "When you're good, expect to get dumped on."

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b_o_m@reddit

Not always. Luck/circumstances/connections have a lot to do with success too.

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Dead_Inside50@reddit

No, hard work does not mean success. Plenty of examples exist illustrating hard working people that never experience success.

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timberwolf0122@reddit

And lazy fucks that somehow blunder into sucess

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Dead_Inside50@reddit

Yep.

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cosmoboy@reddit

It totally depends on the job, size of company blah blah blah. The bigger the place I worked for, the less anything I did was noticed

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Astronaut6735@reddit

I think hard work helps to some extent, but success in a career is as much a popularity contest IRL as it was in school. No amount of hard work will overcome people not liking to work with you. If people like you, you'll get more job offers and promotions.

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Mouse-Direct@reddit

I think it depends, honestly. Other than preparing for college, i have never worked a hard day in my life. I’m intelligent and retain what I read, and I’m friendly with a personality people respond to. I’ve worked in offices since I was 23 years old. I wouldn’t say any of it was particularly hard, although parts of it were annoying. I work in higher ed and enjoyed every job I’ve had in it. But I’ve sat in air conditioned rooms and talked to people for a living. I get a lot of time off.

The difference, I think, is that I have never wanted to be wealthy. I grew up middle class, I am middle class, and my life is comfortable.

Meanwhile, my parents worked very hard their entire lives and didn’t take much time for vacations or enjoyment. My mom had a fatal stroke at 58, my dad a fatal heart attack at 74. They had a miserable marriage.

I have a great marriage, a fantastic kid, a comfortable job, a cute little house, and books for free on my phone with the Libby library app. I’m content.

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Illustrious-Egg-5839@reddit

Only if the right people notice. You’re hard work could be hidden from higher ups by the in betweens and they steal your accomplishments. I have seen it go both ways with different people.

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1Steelghost1@reddit

This is the answer, shitty managers reward failure not hard work. Work your wage, not the CEO's wage.

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Stephvick1@reddit

I figured out early that working hard got you nowhere, the fast talkers moved quickly. I still work hard but just for my own sake. I never wanted to be the person who couldn’t/wouldn’t get their shit done.

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EnjoyingTheRide-0606@reddit

It does for things like getting thru college while working and having a family. Or being in military and moving around lot. But when it comes to personal relationships in work settings, it still feels like 10th grade when the popular people picked all their friends for homecoming queen and king.

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RandomObserver13@reddit

Biggest lie in the world. I’ve seen plenty of hard working people get screwed over.

It’s who you know…now that I can agree with.

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Globeblotter85@reddit

Usually, but the situation may limit the extent of the reward. If you are objectively putting in high levels of effort and working somewhere that has openings for growth, then yes.

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RetroBerner@reddit

The only reward for working hard is more work, so no.

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PaulClarkLoadletter@reddit

It can pay off but hard work is no guarantee for relative compensation. In many cases the best ditch digger is rewarded with a bigger shovel. The way I look at it, I will put effort into tasks that I find personally rewarding as I think a job well done is very satisfying. When I'm paid for my work I automatically assume that I'm on the losing end of the exchange unless I'm setting my fee.

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cruisereg@reddit

I advocate for it, but I also add that unlike what I was taught, it does not pay to be humble about that hard work. People need to know that you're busting your butt. Hopefully you're working smart, I don't care if you worked 80 doing something the hard way that could be done in 20.

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QuirkyForever@reddit

Hard work doesn't get you much. Networking and kissing ass gets you more, but I was never good at that.

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Ok_Ad8249@reddit

I spent 20+ years in corporate America. Busting your ass and generating results keeps you in that job. Suck up show you can delegate (fancy word for dump work on some shmuck busting their ass for you) will get rewarded.

I'm my happier at a smsll company but will always be unrewarded. Once the owner and a couple of cronies get their share we get what's left. They are generous but look.after themselves first.

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PDM_1969@reddit

Totally agree with this...I was never one to do it either

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thor_strong1@reddit

Yes it is rewarded. When I finally retire (already retired military) I will be pulling in enough money to have zero impact on my lifestyle.

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WileyCoyote7@reddit

Yes. It’s rewarded with…more hard work.

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negcap@reddit

It depends. It never worked for me, worked amazingly well for my wife.

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DMGlowen@reddit

Yes. In the aerospace industry. I was hired when others were not. I was promoted over other more capable. I was given raises during "tought times", when others weren't. I survived 12 rounds of layoffs in 14 years.

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TheSwedishEagle@reddit

Hard work is not always rewarded.

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PetroleumVNasby@reddit

Not really. Best you do is survive.

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TopspinLob@reddit

Yes.

In fact, all virtue is rewarded.

“It really all does come back to you, in the end. Just not always in the same form”

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Ceorl_Lounge@reddit

Utterly depends on the setting. Hard work on education and self improvement? Absolutely rewarding. Hard work working for a big company? No thanks. I'll do the minimum I can to get by. I made that mistake once and it only earned more work. Didn't lead to recognition, compensation, or promotion.

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Fly_Rodder@reddit

Early in my career I was able to travel and do lots of field work because I didn't have a family and I was flexible. 50-60 hours a week in the field and then 4-8 hours travel on top of that. I asked for a decent raise because look at all of the self-sacrifice I did for the good of the team! I didn't get a raise because the work I did wasn't "real" work, it was just field work. I had to be in the office to get more responsibility and recognition. So, I said I wanted more office work and was told, well we don't have anything for you right now, all of that work is spoken for. We do need you in the field though.

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lionbacker54@reddit

absolutely

"work hard, keep your mouth shut, and good things will happen."

- george perles

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WatchPerfect6066@reddit

hard work is rewarded.

very late 80s & not quite 20yrs young i was 117kg & heading toward a life full of possible health issues and most likeky obesity.

I started to run. every morning.every evening.

1st day I ran about 200 metres & got around the corner from my house I was knackered ...I made myself walk the 4km circuit id identified as my track

I felt every step. 47mins.

as days went by i noticed it got easier,

within 6 weeks just through persistence &; effort i lost 40kg and was running 4kms every morning in 15 mins and 4kms in the evening in 15mins

here i am ...

in mid 50s...all these years later with thousands...thousands of free public place exercise under my belt & im in excellent health still walking 80-100 km on public footpaths / sand / dirt every single week...600 minutes a week..

nearly 5000km last yr alone

hard work is quantifiable & ...transferable

and it works. I...am living proof

off my own back with no experience,no professional services , no expensive programs or diet advice I initiated within myself a plan

and stuck to it ...for 37yrs now

and...my gp...tells me, youre a fit fucker...aren't you

still 77kg .

sets of 30 push ups one after the other wuth minimal rest no issues whatsoever

hard work - pays off.

truth.

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Koolmidx@reddit

There are way too many commas in that one sentence for you to be working in a school district. Fired! /s

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bailout911@reddit

It does and it doesn't.

What gets rewarded most is if you can play the game. If you're good at selling yourself, making connections, rubbing elbows and going through the bullshit of networking, you'll get ahead over the guy who is doing all the work quietly in the background.

The main reward for being the guy doing all the work is getting more work to do while the glad-hander bullshits his way to the top taking credit for your hard work.

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Fly_Rodder@reddit

I had my best year ever this year. I merely quadrupled my revenue, profit, and new sales goals despite taking a reduction in hours to 4 days per week. I mostly shoved more shit onto to other people and the client really really really likes me for some reason.

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daveescaped@reddit

Agreed. But think it’s a matter of working hard at precisely the right time. Success is something that requires you to be constantly looking to seize opportunities.

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Cigarrauuul@reddit

Of course not.

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Unlikely_Answer662@reddit

Hard work is penalized where I am employed. The laziest and least competent are give the easiest tasks and shifts. If you’ve shown you are hard working you will have more and more responsibilities dumped on you.

Our pay is strictly based on seniority. We have two incompetent boobs that are the highest paid solely based on how long they have moistened a chair.

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Black_Pill_Oh@reddit

Work smart. Working hard without a plan for the work getting easier is unhealthy.

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SensitivePotato44@reddit

No. You’ve done very well this year, here’s a below inflation pay rise

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stueynz@reddit

Oh I’m sorry you are our top performer but there’s no money for pay rises this year.

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Fly_Rodder@reddit

Unfortunately the Denver team missed their revenue goals and we're going to have be creative in allocating raises. If I could give you a raise, I would, but these decisions are made well above my head. Maybe, if you document any wins you have this year and build out your self-evaluation with specific well-researched goals and how you acheived them, we can work on getting you more money next year. Unless something happens late in Q4 then all bets are off.

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Infamous-Yak2864@reddit

Simply put....NO

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Ginger630@reddit

I think it does. You don’t get anything handed to you.

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TeacherLady3@reddit

I used to think that, but the harder I work, the more the difficult students are given to me. You gotta find 8sweet spot of competent mediocrity.

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TieIndependent4418@reddit

Nope, 60 and tired. I phone it in. One leg out the door already.

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EmbarrassedAge7612@reddit

It can be, but are the sacrifices worth the reward.

I worked 60 to 70 hours a week. Did everything to give my family a comfortable life. My reward was a cheating wife that spent everything we had and stole the rest.

Now I’m working for being able to just enjoy the back half of my life. Probably won’t ever be able to retire comfortably. Just doing the things that will help me survive and have a little fun along the way.

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bbonerz@reddit

Those long hours helped you meet needs but didn't keep the emotional side supported apparently.

But fear not! She will have her day. My cheating ex has had three joint replacements, a 2nd round of cancer, a bankruptcy, is obese, and can't always manage cash flow. No idea if she has retirement savings, but I doubt it's much if any.

Meanwhile I have plenty, I have peace, my health is great, and my kids and I love each other very much.

You were rescued from circumstances you may never realize.

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EmbarrassedAge7612@reddit

I should clarify that we’ve been divorced 10 years. In that time she’s been divorced twice more. Had a kid. Lost her job in the financial industry due to bankruptcy. Kids haven’t talked to her in years.

Ran into a mutual acquaintance at the beginning of the year. She told how my ex social media stocks me and is jealous of where I’m at and how happy I am. She let me know she’s living in a crappy rental with 5 other people and is broke and miserable.

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bbonerz@reddit

See?! Consequences!

You made my day.

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EmbarrassedAge7612@reddit

Exactly!

Glad I could. Same back at you!

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SXTY82@reddit

In my 20s I worked way too much. 80 to 120 hours a week for a few years. 60-80 for the rest of it.

I've slowed a lot. 40 to 50 now with a very loose schedule of sometime after 9a to sometime after 5p

But I fully support the idea of hard work. It got me a house and 401k that will help me greatly in 10-15 years when I retire. My single friends who didn't put the hours in early are still living in apartments with little to no retirement savings. Friends with famillies not much different. The blue collar 40 hours a week folk from the 90s are struggling now.

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bbonerz@reddit

120hrs/7 days is 17 hours a day. You had 7 hours to sleep, eat, shit, do chores and errands and clean up yourself?

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SXTY82@reddit

Some weeks yea. My schedule was 7a to 7p M-F, 7 to 5p on Sat and 7 to 3:30 on Sunday. So my scheduled hours were 78/week but we normally hit 80 to 85 hours. 14 to 16 hour days were common. We occasionally worked OT on top of that. It was pretty common to work until 9p. Once I clocked in a 7a on Tuesday and Clocked out at 10p on Wednesday. Slept for about 3 hours on a conveyor belt. Had to get the machine running before customers showed up on Thursday. I took a day off a month and was looked down on for it. That lasted a year.

Typing that out now,,, it seems insane. I left that job and went down to M-F 7 to 5:30 and S 7 to 3:30. 58 hours a week felt like a vacation.

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bbonerz@reddit

I fear this peer / mgt pressure exists in certain roles, industries and environments. It's highly, highly exploitive, dysfunctional, and unhealthy.

You're a better person if you've given them grace since then, but it's definitely facto slavery.

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gonzo-gramps@reddit

I guess it’s perspective, I joined a trade union apprenticeship right out of high school. After turning 21, I started partying, making a ton of poor life choices for the better part of a decade. I finally reached rock bottom, broke and couch surfing. I got my head straight and started taking my work life serious. Started getting hired on jobs and projects that kept me working and getting noticed. By mid 30’s I was middle management, buying my house and starting a family. I kept my nose to the grindstone , foot on the pedal and was able to retire with full bennies at age 55. During that time bought a few cars, vacations, and sent my wife back to college. So in my instance, hard work did pay off but I missed some valuable time with my family. So there’s always a trade off. That’s all I

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CK1277@reddit

No and I don’t think it ever did. Effective work is rewarded. You can work your ass off and still fail and you can half ass your way through life and manage to succeed.

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Quirky_Commission_56@reddit

Not in my experience so far. I busted my ass at every job I’ve had and have very little to show for it. I designed training programs that increased productivity and only got a a $2 raise. Whereas my boss who was rarely there got the big bucks.

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yearsofpractice@reddit

Hey OP. Focussed, well thought out hard work pays off… hard work for hard work’s sake never ever does.

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cl8855@reddit

The reward for hard work is more work

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dth1717@reddit

That's the mailmans credo

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BerryLanky@reddit

Words to live by.

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dirtybird971@reddit

I'd say it's "rewarding" rather than "rewarded".

Doing a job, big or small, do it well or not at all.

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bbonerz@reddit

This is the answer.

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maddog2271@reddit

Hard work has modestly paid off in my professional life but I can easily see that it hasn’t yielded the kind of rewards that were available to people born pre-1965 (I was born 75). But I can also see that it’s been far more rewarding than it has for millennials and particularly for Z. But overall the idea that if you show up and work hard and you will get all the rewards is largely a thing of the past.

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Moveyourbloominass@reddit

Hard work done in my personal life yes, work like, fuck no!

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Standard-Cockroach64@reddit

Spent twenty years at my last company...only to get let go in a corporate downsizing....

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bbonerz@reddit

But you earned for 20 years!

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DoucheyMcBagBag@reddit

It depends.

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Listen-to-Mom@reddit

I’ve found that social skills are more important for getting ahead in the workplace rather than good, hard work.

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ONROSREPUS@reddit

social skills? Does that mean ass kissing?

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Listen-to-Mom@reddit

Not necessarily. Gregarious, extroverted people are more well-received in business than their quieter counterparts regardless of who does more and/or better work.

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BeBopBarr@reddit

100% this. I work for a large city government office. Hard work rarely gets noticed or rewarded. It's all the ass kissers and yes men who are all up in everyone's business that get rewarded. It's infuriating.

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Vegaprime@reddit

For management I've noticed its generally not what you know but who you know for sure.

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TheVioletEmpire@reddit

It probably depends on your definition of hard work, but I can honestly say that, in most situations where I have invested actual effort, I have been rewarded.

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nonotburton@reddit

No single thing can be attributed with success or failure.

Working hard is not the same as actually doing a good job.

Doing a good job has its limits if you are a pain to work with.

If you are a pleasant coworker, but don't do a good job, or don't step up when hard things come, there's a limit to your access.

Current economic growth, and the growth of your company influences if there are promotions available.

And luck. Sheer dumb luck is part of it.

I will never tell my kid until she's ready to hear it, but I've seen people who only work to get promotions. They don't care about the thing they are getting paid for they just want to get to the next promotion.

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vholecek@reddit

Fuck no. Our system doesn’t reward work. It rewards ownership.

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ONROSREPUS@reddit

No. Not anymore I don't think. You need to work for betting yourself not the cooperation's you may work for.

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63crabby@reddit

There are a lot of people that work for small and/or family businesses.

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ONROSREPUS@reddit

I am one of them. Family business since 1946. All of 63 employee's. Since I have been here I have seen nobody being rewarded for hard or extra work.

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63crabby@reddit

That’s unfortunate! The business I worked in grew from about 25 to 125 people over the years, the hard workers were the ones who stayed and prospered. If you made it past the first few years, you were likely there for a long time.

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robertwadehall@reddit

I worked hard through college and grad school, often worked insane hours the first 15-20 years of my career. Now 30 years into my career, I work 40hrs a week from home w/ a senior position w/ base pay $175k/yr and TC over $275k/yr. Hard work bought me a nice big house on a couple acres, several nice cars and plenty of money in my 401(k) and investments.

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SouthOrlandoFather@reddit

No. Efficient work pays off.

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j2142b00@reddit

It hasn't for me. Seems like its more of the exception than the rule now days.

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KatJen76@reddit

No, I've found hard work just tends to get you more hard work and often in increasingly unpleasant conditions. No problem having her stay until 8 since she's usually here until 7. Work smart, give it your all, but have boundaries and don't expect it to pay off on its own.

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RoyalPuzzleheaded259@reddit

Yes it is. With more work and responsibility, but with no more pay.

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ONROSREPUS@reddit

100% I have seen it so many times.

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RoyalPuzzleheaded259@reddit

I am currently living it and have nobody to blame but myself.

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Three4Anonimity@reddit

Right?

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WalterSobkowich@reddit

Yes, and only sometimes

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Ok_Industry3016@reddit

Depends when where and how.

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Bokononfoma@reddit

It's just like anything else - innocence, intelligence, talent, beauty. It can be rewarded, taken advantage of, or completely ignored.

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CouchRiot@reddit

Unless you work for yourself, hard work only enriches the company you work for.

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ONROSREPUS@reddit

Correct. I was just thinking about it for a second, What about your own business then I read your comment.

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Damien__@reddit

Hard work pays off just it usually doesn't pay the person that does the actual work

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ONROSREPUS@reddit

That is well said.

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Turbulent_Tale6497@reddit

Hard work sometimes pays off. Lazy work rarely does.

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Parking_Exit2297@reddit

Only with more hard work

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Dunno_If_I_Won@reddit

Hard work doesn't necessarily get rewarded.

Smart work does. By that I mean to focus on the goals/metrics that matter.

I'm incredibly lazy in the sense that I spend time to figure out the most efficient way to do things. Then I do them well.

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platypusandpibble@reddit

LOL!

The only thing hard work gets you is more work. And then you become indispensable and then cannot be promoted. It sucks & isn’t fair. So, just do what you were hired for. You can be good at it, but don’t take on extra responsibilities.

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whatisthesoulofaman@reddit

100%.

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MaximumJones@reddit

No, but being an invaluable resource is.

Don't be the person that brings up problems unless you have already come up with solutions.

Don't wait for someone to tell you to handle something, handle it so they never have to bother with it, preferably before they ever find out it was going to be an issue.

Be Caesar's right hand, never be Caesar.

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Havacookiewhydontcha@reddit

Until you get punished for overstepping the boundaries of “your role” because you handled something without specific permission to. Just because you provided a solution doesn’t mean you get rewarded.

Being an “invaluable resource” is a good way to get exploited by higher ups who want your hard work for free.

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MaximumJones@reddit

Egos will always try to get in the way of progress. Find creative solutions around them. If your boss's boss is happy, then you have learned step one.

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Tralfaz1138@reddit

My manager at my first job out of college basically said he is open to all suggestions provid3d they come with a solution. So that one has always stuck with me.

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NorCalJason75@reddit

In my experience, there’s no shortcuts.

Hard work is required to achieve anything meaningful.

In addition, the practice of it benefits you directly.

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jeon2595@reddit

Yes

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limited_instincts@reddit

Financially? No. Your efforts with the students will be rewarded 100 times over just not financially.

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KurtStation68@reddit

In essence, no unless the fruit of your labor pays directly or the hardwork is performance based.

A few years ago I worked like a madman on a transitional project, nothing out of that other than "good job". Overtime is not a reward either. I'm not blind to corporate greed.

I know now that I work efficiently and so I learn new things on YouTube or whatever on the clock.

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BrooksRoss@reddit

Hard work pays off if you are smart about when where and how you do it.

If you work for a good organization, and your supervisor is a good person who pays attention then hard work, discipline, and good decision making will help you move up the chain. You will make more money and get promoted.

If you work hard for a shitty organization you will get shit upon. If you work hard for a shitty leader, you will probably get no recognition. If you work hard but you are a dumbass and don't understand how your organization works and what they value then you are probably wasting your time and effort.

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emi_delaguerra@reddit

Hard work is rewarded, only sometimes though. It is a matter of luck.

A person might luck into a situation where their hard work is rewarded, but sometimes that person gets screwed even if they are working super hard. I've been on both sides of that.

The other thing is that luck isn't really available to everyone, there is only so much to go around. Which really makes it difficult if there is someone trying to exploit you, because they want the world to think they worked really hard for everything they have.

Sure, work hard, but don't light yourself on fire to keep some rich asshole warm, he will never return the favor.

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edgarjwatson@reddit

Work is a prison of time.

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Worldly_Possible2925@reddit

Over the course of the last 26 years it definitely has been for me. Even as recently as this year. I can only assume it’s not been that way for others because it’s such a common trope to say hard work gets you nowhere. 🤷🏼‍♂️ maybe it’s my specific to this line of work, I work in IT administration.

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TheKaptinKirk@reddit

I think it very much depends on what you do and who (especially) you do it for. Good managers will promote, bad managers will keep you down.

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Lemonking_@reddit

Do it once, it suddenly becomes your job.

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TheKaptinKirk@reddit

Yep. I remember one job I had. I had seniority, was the best (imho) at my job, and couldn't get a promotion. They couldn't "spare" me. Couldn't replace me. I quit and I'm sure they replaced me somehow.

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93195@reddit

I’ll say “maybe”.

While much more likely to be rewarded than doing nothing, it’s no sure thing.

Regardless, it’s more about how you feel about yourself and whether you can look yourself in the mirror and feel good at the end of the day.

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likeittight_@reddit

Ask the children who mine the rare earths for the phone you typed this on

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PowerChordGeorge64@reddit

Hard work is usually rewarded with additional work nobody else wants to do

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Ornery-Vehicle-2458@reddit

Looked in a dictionary for "Meritocracy".
Nope. Couldn't find it there, either.

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chimpyjnuts@reddit

Go talk to some farmers.

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fxlatitude@reddit

It depends what is called Hard work. If OP is a millennial then Hard work probs means working 42 hours a week, no weekends. To an x’r it means all nighters, and work weekends It is inly rewarded if you produce better outcomes, in other words is better to work smarter nit harder, but usually some extra time helps.

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Staran@reddit

If you are a Protestant, supposedly.

But in the real world you get better rewarded working “well” because anyone motivated can work hard.

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musing_codger@reddit

Providing what is scarce and desired is what is rewarded.

I could go out with a hand saw and work as a lumberjack, but even if I work 10 times as hard, I'm not going to earn as much as someone with a chainsaw. My hard work doesn't make me as productive as his tools.

I could work as a teacher, one of the most important jobs in society, but I'm not going to earn as much as many other people with my education because so many people want to be teachers.

Rewards go to those who provide what people want and have a hard time obtaining, not to those who work the hardest and not to those that produce what is most desired.

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JonCocktoastin@reddit

Yes, but I think you need to get to the point where you are working for yourself--whatever that might mean to you, but then absolutely hard work is rewarded more than you can imagine.

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Some-Cartographer942@reddit

I found that certain projects/people who i worked with or for brought out good hard work from me.

A great deal of time i seemed to work in obscurity and disinterest and it showed.

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beef-hed@reddit

Yeah, usually with more work.

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Elugelab_is_missing@reddit

No. Specialized skills are rewarded.

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pickleball_bender@reddit

Negatory.

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markaguynamedmark@reddit

In the job place? No. People use what you give and will suck you dry.

For my own self respect I work hard and drive to have a solid work ethic.

It’s finding the middle ground that has been my struggle.

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Jas62021@reddit

I’m the same way. And it’s nearly killed me.

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brownmtn@reddit

If I'm going to work, I'm going to do it right. I don't know another way. It's usually worked out for me.

But it's not just hard work. You have to constantly advocate for yourself. The days of your employer suddenly saying, "Dave, we've noticed all the work you've been putting in, so we're giving you a promotion and a raise!" are gone. You really only get those opportunities if you demand it, and you're willing to change jobs or go out on your own.

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OddSignificance9742@reddit

It usually just gets you more work.

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whistlepig4life@reddit

It depends on who is doing the rewarding.

To be very honest anyone who still works in corporate America knows full well hard work “can” be rewarded with promotion or impactful monies but often is NOT.

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