Have you ever coasted and gotten away with it?

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I'm curious to know if coasters are as obvious as we think, or if anyone out there has been a closet coaster and actually gotten away with it.

Ie have you coasted but still managed to gain good performance reviews and not been pulled up on it. If so, how long for.

If you've been caught, how long did you coast for? What was the process once you were caught.

I've seen so many people in my company who I knew coasted, get caught up with eventually. Wondering if there are some getting away with it all the same.

What exactly do you mean by coasted?

What is coasted?

Coasting at work. Doing the minimum.

www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220329-the-coasting-workers-whove-checked-out-of-their-jobs

Doing the bare minimum is quite literally what I'm paid to do.
If my employer wants someone to go above and beyond they can pay me for it.

Being "found out" as you phrase it connotes someone who isn't doing what they are paid to do, and aren't really coasting.

Well it depends on coasting. I’ve had a job where I was capable of much more so achieved everything I needed to but with minimum effort. So that would class as coasting but I don’t think I’d count that as untoward in the way you allude to.

Did not you think this is 90% of people?

I think you are confusing coasting and under performing

I live by 'work smarter, not harder'. Never realised I'm probably coasting😆

Maybe. So I would change my question to have you ever coasted/ under performed and gotten away with it?

In my company, we are all paid very well, so coasting is not tolerated. Someone doing the bare minimum will be put on a PIP and shown the door.

In fact, as a company, we 'cleanse' at least 5% of employees every year with under performers. This is done with bi-annual performance reviews and people who are 'behind the curve'.

I've been quietly quitting for the past 2 years. I've totally gotten away with it and been very pleased with the amount of extra time I have as a result. I work in a job where a lot of your own time is expected. I still work over my contracted hours but I'm getting there.

I get my work done. I go above and beyond. I'm fast and efficient. I still only work at 50-75% of my own personal capacity as that's all my current salary equates to from my effort but the job suits me at the moment.

I do sometimes wonder how fabulous I'd be if I gave it 110% but they don't pay for that so I don't.

Your company culture sounds toxic, but it explains your odd question.

Same as last crumpet. I’m capable of a lot but am paid to do a specific job which I do and do well and efficiently. I wouldn’t say I coast but I’m not stretched.

It's hard to say what 'coasting' is really. I think of myself as quite a creative person in general life, but I have never been one of those people who comes out with great suggestions to change the way things are done and add value at work. And I'd quite like to be that sort of person, but I don't seem to have that kind of mindset when it comes to work. So is that coasting, or is it just I'm not someone who can direct their energy towards going above and beyond.

Yep, I will not do a single moments work more than I'm paid for anymore. I suppose that counts as "coasting".

I've been the chump who "goes above and beyond", gives my all, exhausts myself to work way above what is actually in my contract. No one thanks you for it and you remain exactly as dispensable to the company as the people who do just enough. It's not worth it.

I do precisely my job, and I do it excellently, but have got really goot at utilising the phrase "unfortunately that task falls outside of my remit, however X can be reached on Y and should be able to pick that up for you".

It's actually fucking great. I've freed up so much mental headspace for the shit that actually matters.

I have never had a job where I haven't coasted to be honest.
Its much better for me to be SE so I go over and above

I think most people do what they need to. I work in a job where there is always more I could do, but I prioritise my family and try my best to enforce a work life balance.

Yes I could spend my weekend writing a paper that would benifit my employer and my career but instead I spend it with my family.

I have worked for a toxic employer who expected me to spend every weekend and evening writing / doing extra work but it was not worth it and I quit once I saw the effect it was having on my mental health.

Your update doesn't make sense. The bare minimum means meeting objectives and no more.

On what grounds can employees be let go or placed on PIP for meeting their objectives? If they're expected to do more that should be stated clearly IN the objectives/ job description which sounds like it needs amending.

Employees can totally legitimately coast if the job is well within their capabilities. It means getting the work done without breaking a sweat or caring to do more. Swinging the lead/ getting away with not meeting requirements even quietly or subtly is not the same. Which are you asking?

I know someone who looks busy all the time but in fact does FA. They network a lot, post on internal and external social media a lot and are very gregarious and outgoing. Does absolutely no work at all but is very successful and highly thought of because they give the impression of being committed and working hard. Any deliverables have 100% been done by the team but this person claims credit and says they've done their bit when they haven't.
The whole department know it, it's just the bosses who don't. We're all quietly waiting to see what happens long term. I also think no-one really cares that much as it's not putting extra burden on the team and they benefit from the profile raising and recognise the value in that, so it's a detached watching and waiting with mild interest.

Yeah, I used to work every hour under the sun.. made myself ill over work

Now? Bare minimum. The job gets done, but I will not give it one minute of effort/headspace beyond what I'm paid to do

Agree there's a difference between doing the job versus under or over performing. I know my job well, so it doesn't take extra planning time. That article assumes that being more invested in work will feel better. I think getting to a position of being able to do my job with one metaphorical arm behind my back allows me the mental space to do others things in my life that I enjoy outside of work.

Ummm I suppose I could work harder but I choose not to. I used to work in a company where I gave it my all, working late, often through lunch, putting in a lot of effort, stressed out, volunteering for things to show engagement with the corporate values, going above and beyond to help my manager and colleagues - and I got average ratings. I got a high rating once and the difference in bonus payment wasn't that much.

I kind of came to my senses, left that job and got a new one where I did my job description and not much more. My manager is impressed with me pulling together a PowerPoint slide show 🫠 and I still get average ratings but I have my evenings and stress levels under control.

Would you call that coasting, OP?

I used to give everything to work. Work did not appreciate it.

Now I have a child and a lot of personal issues to deal with. I give my work as much as I reasonably can, and I get good performance reviews. I think that I work smarter due to my level of experience and my need to be efficient and get things done under the pressure of competing demands.

I have had a job where I did exactly what was required and no more, I even got a bonus every year, it was laughable really however the real issue was I had some colleagues that were dreadful so it was easy to look like a superstar. I turned down promotion because I didn’t want to be in charge of them.

Management were useless.