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I find myself in a situation similar to the one described by "Meta staffer" in the article. I was hired a few years ago in a biotech company and, after some mon

I find myself in a situation similar to the one described by "Meta staffer" in the article. I was hired a few years ago in a biotech company and, after some months of mostly uneventful work -- but I was doing something -- for the past two years I have done almost nothing. I tried to propose new ideas and projects, offered my expertise to other groups, but my attempts were met with benign indifference. After realizing that looking for work meant to others that I had nothing better to do at work (or nothing to do, basically, at work), I have decided to put the proverbial feet on the desk and milk the money until I can find a job -- elsewhere -- that I like better. The challenge I see is that I am getting paid very well -- exceptionally well considering I do very little -- and very much enjoying the mental and physical freedom that my current nonexistent workload is giving me.

theGnuMe 4y ago
Umm.. don't you have a manager? Surely they could find work for you, no?
- borroka 4y ago
  I do. But it is one of the situations that converge in a kind of mutually beneficial indifference. It is no different in spirit from that of a husband and wife who live under the same roof but seek intimacy elsewhere, or who have repressed their desires for so long that they no longer even remember how to make a baby.
- andmikey 4y ago
  My first job out of college was like this. My manager knew I had no work and had no particular interest in letting me take on anything I proposed or found. I ended up quitting a few months in because (on top of a few other issues) I found it way too soul-destroying to have nothing to do.
  - tmpz22 4y ago
    This is because it takes work to make work. There's planning, and scoping, and cross-functional coordination, and, and, and. From that angle its easy to understand why a manager would like to do little, as long as their manager has a similar relationship with them.
- icedchai 4y ago
  If you speak up too much, you wind up with bullshit work. Example: "refactoring" code for a project/dependency that isn't even used, writing tests just to hit that 99% coverage level, updating wiki articles that nobody reads. This is arguably worse than doing nothing.
  - borroka 4y ago
    This is what happened and would happen again. It is much better to say that you are busy with some vague project or initiative and actually taking a nap.
    - icedchai 4y ago
      Yep. I know guys who'd take off for half the day, every day. Long lunches. Workouts. Walks around the city. Even naps. Eventually they got laid off but it was easy living for a while.
yawnxyz 4y ago
It's also funny that if you just straight up tell them you're not doing anything and need work, they're indifferent. And if you ask them if you're SUPPOSED to do NOTHING, they get defensive. I'd rather work with people who at least have the ability to admit you're just hired to pad out the roster.
swader999 4y ago
Work from home and get another remote job.
- borroka 4y ago
  I wfh almost all the time. I could find another remote job, but I don't feel like it. My life is full of interests: I love reading, writing, exercising, making long phone calls, foreign languages (I am currently learning Japanese). And I make very good money. One drawback of this whole situation is that it will be difficult to return to a normal job once this honeymoon ends. But giving the current situation up would be like giving up love because I might one day get hurt.
  - adave 4y ago
    It's gonna be a rude awakening but enjoy the good times.
    - borroka 4y ago
      How can it be a rude awakening when I write: "One drawback of this whole situation is that it will be difficult to return to a normal job once this honeymoon ends". In an earlier comment, I made an adventurous analogy with love stories: you fall in love with Robert, you know it might end, and friends tell you "be careful, my friend, it will be a rude awakening when he dumps you. Robert is handsome, but unreliable -- Jim, instead, sure is boring, but looks more reliable". And you think it might end, sure, it is not your first flight, but maybe it will continue for a while, and he will be handsome, and lovely, and passionate, and it might even happen that you fall in love with someone else before he does. Or maybe you die, or he dies, who knows.
  - swader999 4y ago
    Well good for you then!
devindotcom 4y ago
The way I see it as a worker you are making your abilities available and are entitled absolutely to the wages they give you. Kind of feels like robbing them sure, but they're robbing themselves. More of an indictment of capitalism and corporate structure than anything else. Pay it forward if you can and their loss is everyone else's gain.
- borroka 4y ago
  It is a situation that psychologically does not suit everyone. Many people fear being "found out" or think they are stealing from their employer. I must say that for a short time I harbored such thoughts, but now I think I have nothing to be ashamed of. I offer my expertise and competence, and they pay me for that.

theGnuMe 4y ago

Umm.. don't you have a manager? Surely they could find work for you, no?

borroka 4y ago
I do. But it is one of the situations that converge in a kind of mutually beneficial indifference. It is no different in spirit from that of a husband and wife who live under the same roof but seek intimacy elsewhere, or who have repressed their desires for so long that they no longer even remember how to make a baby.
andmikey 4y ago
My first job out of college was like this. My manager knew I had no work and had no particular interest in letting me take on anything I proposed or found. I ended up quitting a few months in because (on top of a few other issues) I found it way too soul-destroying to have nothing to do.
- tmpz22 4y ago
  This is because it takes work to make work. There's planning, and scoping, and cross-functional coordination, and, and, and. From that angle its easy to understand why a manager would like to do little, as long as their manager has a similar relationship with them.
icedchai 4y ago
If you speak up too much, you wind up with bullshit work. Example: "refactoring" code for a project/dependency that isn't even used, writing tests just to hit that 99% coverage level, updating wiki articles that nobody reads. This is arguably worse than doing nothing.
- borroka 4y ago
  This is what happened and would happen again. It is much better to say that you are busy with some vague project or initiative and actually taking a nap.
  - icedchai 4y ago
    Yep. I know guys who'd take off for half the day, every day. Long lunches. Workouts. Walks around the city. Even naps. Eventually they got laid off but it was easy living for a while.

yawnxyz 4y ago

It's also funny that if you just straight up tell them you're not doing anything and need work, they're indifferent. And if you ask them if you're SUPPOSED to do NOTHING, they get defensive. I'd rather work with people who at least have the ability to admit you're just hired to pad out the roster.

swader999 4y ago

Work from home and get another remote job.

borroka 4y ago
I wfh almost all the time. I could find another remote job, but I don't feel like it. My life is full of interests: I love reading, writing, exercising, making long phone calls, foreign languages (I am currently learning Japanese). And I make very good money. One drawback of this whole situation is that it will be difficult to return to a normal job once this honeymoon ends. But giving the current situation up would be like giving up love because I might one day get hurt.
- adave 4y ago
  It's gonna be a rude awakening but enjoy the good times.
  - borroka 4y ago
    How can it be a rude awakening when I write: "One drawback of this whole situation is that it will be difficult to return to a normal job once this honeymoon ends". In an earlier comment, I made an adventurous analogy with love stories: you fall in love with Robert, you know it might end, and friends tell you "be careful, my friend, it will be a rude awakening when he dumps you. Robert is handsome, but unreliable -- Jim, instead, sure is boring, but looks more reliable". And you think it might end, sure, it is not your first flight, but maybe it will continue for a while, and he will be handsome, and lovely, and passionate, and it might even happen that you fall in love with someone else before he does. Or maybe you die, or he dies, who knows.
- swader999 4y ago
  Well good for you then!

devindotcom 4y ago

The way I see it as a worker you are making your abilities available and are entitled absolutely to the wages they give you. Kind of feels like robbing them sure, but they're robbing themselves. More of an indictment of capitalism and corporate structure than anything else. Pay it forward if you can and their loss is everyone else's gain.

borroka 4y ago
It is a situation that psychologically does not suit everyone. Many people fear being "found out" or think they are stealing from their employer. I must say that for a short time I harbored such thoughts, but now I think I have nothing to be ashamed of. I offer my expertise and competence, and they pay me for that.