AIBU to not give a shit about my job?

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I have always been a high achiever and work in a professional career with security, good pay, high responsibility and endless scope for progression. I get lots of opportunities to develop myself as a leader etc etc.

It’s a job most people consider to be worthwhile and important BUT I just don’t care. I want to do the bare minimum and then log off. I feel like I’m constantly pretending to care about my personal goals, what I want to achieve etc. Everyone else is so keen and thinks the work is so important.

Am I the only one pretending or do other people do this?

Not spend, should be spent.

Course you are not unreasonable. I would give up work tomorrow if I could. In fact, it would make me extremely happy to do so. It's sad how many people hate their jobs. We aren't on this earth just to work, pay bills and then die.

I am the same.

My organisation offers people the opportunity to be “acting managers” for no extra pay, vaguely suggesting it might possibly maybe in the future aid their promotion prospects.

Wise up.

It baffles me too - the enthusiasm of some people knows no bounds.

We had a team discussion on workload as across my organisation the fact that some people/teams have too much work is an ongoing issue. But in my team’s discussion the conversation went completely the other way - some young keen person piped up on how the opposite can be true and they sometimes don’t have enough work to do. Cue lots of agreement and enthusiastic noises about making sure we were all fully challenged and engaged.

I could see the issue if your 35 hour work week takes 5 hours to complete and you’re bored. But these were people complaining about having the odd quieter week or afternoon.

YANBU. I feel the same. Quiet quitting is a survival mechanism when you work with people who would cheerfully stab you in the back to climb over you for promotion or monetary gain. Nepotism and bullying are rife. HR are useless and turn a blind eye to anything that might rock the boat. I want to get out soon.

I stopped caring about work the day I got a positive pregnancy test. I never do training courses or apply for promotions anymore, I just want to see my kids as much as possible!

I have worked in Special School (so poorly paid TA) for 20 years..so no glory or good salary, but a worthwhile job, and one that I mostly loved, and it meant I had holidays with my children , as Dh was in the Forces, no family help etc

Gradually however the budget cuts have meant ever worsening conditions in school.. fewer teachers , fewer TA's ever more complex children whose needs we just can't met any more because there are no funds to do all the activities nd therapies they need, and I could feel my motivation disappearing daily.

So I stopped for a while. Tried a different job, and realised I missed the children. So went back but only as supply. I now work a couple of days a week, care for my grandchild two or three days, and walk the dog, learn the piano and allow myself to just BE.

I'm broke, but at 55 I am happy with the compromise as I still give my best a couple of days a week to school, and my whole soul to my grandchild and dog the rest of the week. No regrets!

I found my career later in life - late 30s - after having DCs in 20s. I loved it and pressed on to reach more senior positions. However changes in the top level in my department and a farce of an interview for what was basically the job I was currently doing and I took a long hard look at my priorities.

I’m still in post - and have had a ‘promotion’ in name but no actual extra pay. I’m not quite in a position to retire now but have plans to do so within the next 5 years and decided to pull back, dropping my hours down by 20%. I am very careful to only do my contracted hours; in effect, my employers have lost a hardworking and conscientious member of the team who is now just going to do the bare minimum.

I think alot of people are like this (def on mn!), its ok as long as you do your job well, not ok if you go home at 5 on the dot while everyone stays behind. Overall I think you're better off to get a job that you care about even a little bit, feeling that way must make the days drag on and a bit depressing if you're so disengaged given you spend most your life at work

I’m the same!

No I do not care much either.

I put enough effort in to make it look like I am working reasonably hard, and try and give off a positive enthusiastic image during meetings, but I am going through the motions really. I could probably be a lot more productive but I meet my objectives so do not want to work any harder.

If I won the lottery I would phone in long term sick and thereafter resign.

If you are not clever, it doesn't matter how hard you work you are never going to get anywhere, so you might as well cruise.

I agree. It must be soul destroying to work like this. I have people who report to me who have been in the job for more than a decade and are clearly are going through the motions (but making the right noises occasionally) and not learning much in order not to take on more responsibilities. They are doing the bare minimum. I am currently working on automating their roles (as one other poster said, using AI) so that I need fewer of them and can go out and hire more enthusiastic employees with a better skill set. If only they applied their minds more they would not be easily replaced by machines.

This is an interesting discussion and I have had a similar conversation with a couple of my colleagues. I work in academia and I think this is partly burnout, but a couple of personal and family issues have really made me start to think about work life balance. I am a single parent so have to work FT to support us financially but if I could find another job with a pension and similar pay I would leave like a shot. I'm trying to find ways to motivate myself as I have about another 18 years to go!

From what you say though, they are doing exactly the job that you pay them to do. If you want them to do more you should renegotiate their contracts. Not everyone wants to learn more or take on more responsibility. If you are going to replace people who have worked for you for a decade because they are not doing more work than you pay them to do - then you are the problem.

I enjoy my job for the most part but I have no desire to progress or put anything extra into it. It makes me happy that I never have to stay late. I feel like I have a great work / life balance.

I love so many other things more than working.

I wonder if it’s worth considering if you want to continue like this. Only that it’s a bit of a downer for you if you feel like that? I felt similar in a previous job but moving to another has given me my enthusiasm back. For me personally this means I like how I am spending my time, so I am happier overall. Worth considering a change?

I think it definitely comes with age. I wouldn't say boo to a goose when I was younger and did extra hours and things to please management. I think what happens though, is the realisation that company owners don't really give a shit about you (mainly)... we're there just to make them richer. Certainly made me not give much of a shit after that! I do my job well, and have actually turned down a slight promotion, because it's not all it's cracked up to be, even if they make it sound amazing. My boss knows how I feel, and like to think they 'get' it. But I couldn't care less! I have no stress, quite like my job, but I'm not kissing arse for anyone.
Also boils my piss when people win the lottery and say they're going to carry on working!! Wtf?? No imagination! Wasted on them 🤣

YANBU and like the vast majority of the workforce
Employers wouldn't have to pay you if work was fun and people wanted to do it

I relate to so many of these answers. I am counting down the months until I can call it a day. PDPs, courses, going to London for the Town Hall. I just am so beyond it. I do my job well, am productive, good at what I do but I just don’t really care anymore. Stuff comes up, this one want new metrics, what will we do about x. I just think, I’ll be out of here by then.

I checked out a long time ago.

I do my job well though but I have no interest in ''going the extra mile'' or being ''passionate'' about it.

No interest in chit-chat with colleagues, pointless courses, office politics or corporate nonsense.

I never do more than my hours.

I had health issues a few years ago and it really made me realise how short life is and I certainly don't want working for an employer to take more time and energy that it needs to.

I am passionate about what I do outside work. My job is just a way to pay the bills and nothing more.

Thankfully I work mostly from home so I don't even have to worry about commuting or having to socialise with colleagues.

Spot on. Its laughable isn't it.

Manager wants you to learn more skills, do more training, to take on more responsibility without even mention of a wage or contract negotiation 🤣

If you want people to "take on more responsibility" actively advertise a promotion where the contract and expectation is in black and white, and your staff can decide if they want that.

Because it's a fool's game to believe all this extra responsibility you are so privileged to get is going to launch you above line managers who have no interest in vacating their current position, that line manager just wants to delegate more work to you for the same pay because you did a 2 day training course. I'm alright thanks 👍🏿

I think it's definitely true, for me at least. The days I just zone out and run on autopilot fly by and before I know it I'm done, which never happens when I actually have to engage and be completely present with whoever or whatever I'm dealing with. It's like flicking a switch.

I'm self employed, freelance and part time, so to some extent I can choose when and even whether I work. This isn't a good thing when I can barely be arsed to begin with, and whilst I should do extra when the work is there to build a cushion for when it isn't, as soon as I know I've covered my bills and whatever else I need something in my head just shuts off. I have no motivation at all bar the money.

I think a lot of people feel
like this since the whole covid/lockdown thing happened

I felt like this and realised I couldn’t put up with it for another 30 years so had a career change at 35. Much better now! But then I think it’s a personal choice and depends how much it affects your mental health.