People Who Work A 9-To-5 Job & Actually Don’t Hate It Usually Do 4 Things To Prevent Being Taken Advantage Of
Daria Voronchuk | ShutterstockAs people have realized work could be structured in a more flexible way that better promotes work-life balance, they’ve looked at their nine-to-fives differently. Gen Z has been leading the movement for workplace reform, with a majority of them describing the traditional work schedule as “soul-sucking” in a recent survey.
Nine-to-five jobs take up so much time from workers’ lives that they often feel like they’re being taken advantage of by corporations that don’t really care about their well-being. That’s how content creator Nathan Fleischer felt in his own life before he instituted some changes that overhauled his relationship with corporate culture. He shared the best things employees can do to keep themselves from absolutely hating their jobs in a TikTok video.
People who work a 9-to-5 and actually don’t hate it usually do 4 things to prevent being taken advantage of:
1. They work hard, but don’t give it everything they’ve got
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There are a lot of people in the world who are people-pleasers and perfectionists who think they have to work themselves to the bone and always give 100% just to do anything worthwhile. Fleischer thinks this is a huge mistake.
“Operating at a B- level really changed the way that I approach my corporate work life,” he admitted. “I personally have no interest in being the best. I feel like what you get for being the best at your job is more work.”
He acknowledged that this approach works better for salaried employees than those on commission, but he thinks it’s worth a try if it won’t affect your pay. For people who try to live up to impossible standards or constantly worry about failing, this strategy could not only lessen their workload, but also their emotional load.
2. They use their PTO and sick days
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Employees are given time off so they can actually use it, but many are afraid to. Even though PTO and sick days are there for them to use, a lot of people feel guilty doing so and worry it will make them look bad. Honestly, there are bosses out there who look down on team members who take more time off than others, so these fears aren’t totally unfounded.
This culture of concern over taking time off seems to be unique to the U.S., which Fleischer noted, although he said he “never understood” why. “That’s a benefit, and I take it,” he said simply.
It’s definitely possible for someone to take so much time off that they look like an unreliable or incompetent worker, but there’s nothing wrong with taking what they’re given. This is the best way to recharge and avoid burnout, so it’s necessary to keep doing good work.
3. They protect their time
This sounds like a lesson Fleischer probably learned the hard way. He explained, “It is way easier to set a precedent than to change one. And, yeah, I’m talking [about] the availability that you actually give your job.”
In his experience, employees often make things harder for themselves by working late hours or not taking a lunch break, which the rest of the team just comes to expect is how they operate. Everyone wants to look like a hard worker, but it’s not worth sacrificing your personal time in the process.
Setting work-related boundaries is hard when society teaches people to devote so much of themselves to their career, but it’s the only way to avoid becoming completely overwhelmed and feeling like you resent everything about your job. That’s how people are able to keep going.
4. They communicate about what they need
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Fleischer’s final point was something he excels at, but many people would probably say is a sore spot for them. “I’m very direct and communicative,” he said. “If I ever have an issue, I speak up, and I say something.”
This is incredibly hard to do because a lot of employees think the surest path to job security is keeping their heads down and not rocking the boat. As Fleischer described, “I feel like, far too often, people just swallow how they’re actually feeling and they don’t say anything.”
Harvard Law School lecturer Elaine Lin Hering noted that “fear of repercussions” can stop people from speaking up at work, but that doesn’t have to be the case. In her book “Unlearning Silence,” she wrote, “Only by unlearning silence can we more fully unleash talent, speak our minds, and be more complete versions of ourselves … and help other people do the same.”
Our culture tells us that we should put our jobs before everything else, but Fleischer reminded people that “work is not your full identity.” It’s perfectly fine to put boundaries in place that ensure you’re treated the way you deserve.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
