4 hrs ago
Worker Says Job Automation Backfired Into Extra Work
An employee had a weekly report that took about 15 hours to finish.
They made a computer script that completed the data work in less than a minute.
At first, this gave them more free time and reduced stress.
The employee showed the script to their manager because they hoped to receive more recognition or pay.
Instead, the manager treated the faster work as the new normal.
The employee was also given extra work from a senior colleague who had left.
They began working about 50 hours each week for the same salary.
The story led other workers to say that showing too much efficiency can sometimes result in more work rather than rewards.
An anonymous employee created a script that reduced weekly reporting work from 15 hours to under a minute.
The employee shared the automation with a manager hoping it would support a promotion or raise.
Management made the automated output the new standard and assigned additional responsibilities.
The employee also inherited half the workload of a departed senior team member.
The story sparked online debate about whether workplace efficiency can lead to burnout instead of recognition.
- Who
- An anonymous corporate employee and professionals reacting online.
- What
- A workplace automation project reduced reporting time but led to additional duties and longer hours.
- Where
- The incident was described in an anonymous Reddit post.
- When
- The employee set up the script over a weekend; the post was later shared online.
- Why
- The employee wanted to save time, reduce stress, and potentially demonstrate initiative for a promotion or raise.
Efficiency Should Be Shared
Efficiency Can Increase Workload
Showing initiative
Efficiency Should Be Shared
Sharing an automation can demonstrate competence, improve productivity, and potentially support a promotion or raise.
Efficiency Can Increase Workload
The employee's experience suggested that management treated the faster output as a baseline instead of rewarding the initiative.
Workplace productivity
Efficiency Should Be Shared
Automation can remove tedious tasks, reduce stress, and allow employees to learn new skills.
Efficiency Can Increase Workload
Commenters argued that visible productivity gains may lead to extra assignments, responsibility for coworkers' work, and burnout.
Disclosing automation
Efficiency Should Be Shared
Making automation visible could help an organization improve how everyone performs routine tasks.
Efficiency Can Increase Workload
Several commenters said they now keep personal automations private or reveal only limited improvements to avoid having their workload raised.
Key facts
- Original reporting time
- About 15 hours of manual work each week
- Automated reporting time
- Under one minute
- Employee's stated new workload
- About 50 hours per week
- Pay change
- The employee said they received the same pay
- Additional assignment
- Half the workload of a senior team member who had quit
- Other management request
- Automate other employees' tasks
- Online reaction
- The post received more than 3,000 upvotes
Quotes
Anonymous corporate employee
The anonymous employee who described automating weekly reporting
“I went from a manageable, stress-free workload to working 50 frantic hours a week for the exact same pay. It was a tough lesson, but I learned that in corporate life, efficiency usually just gets rewarded with extra work. Now, if I streamline something, I keep quiet and deliver it at a standard pace”
NDTV
“What used to take 15 hours of manual work suddenly took under a minute”
NDTV
Sources
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