This is a very insightful comment. It's incredibly difficult to knuckle down and "work" when (a) your work is not going to be noticed (b) you are not getting a

This is a very insightful comment. It's incredibly difficult to knuckle down and "work" when (a) your work is not going to be noticed (b) you are not getting a promotion no matter what; someone else has been identified for the promotion (c) you dislike most of your colleagues because of their personality traits or work habits. In a way, there is no need to. You have been retained for your time (that is the essence of full-time employment), and after a certain point, the onus is squarely on your employer to get their money's worth by putting proper structures to incentivize good work. Caveat emptor.