Have you ever been told to stick to your job description? 

We’re always being told to go above and beyond at work. We’re constantly given the feedback that the bare minimum is not enough. We have to think outside of our roles and think about how we can contribute to the company as a whole. This is a fair enough expectation, in most cases. You want to demonstrate ability and initiative outside of your direct orders. This is how you grow in your career. But this should be taken with some level of scrutiny. You shouldn’t constantly be doing things that are outside your job description… because you aren’t getting paid to do them. 

You should be careful with how thin you spread yourself at work. You don’t want to overcommit and have your higher-ups get used to that level of output. If you’re not mindful of it, they might start relying on you to do that work and start taking it for granted. Then, you’re in a position where you’re not being appreciated, you’re being undervalued. Sometimes you have to start doing the bare minimum again to remind them of just how much you do. A little malicious compliance might be in order… That’s exactly what this employee did. Nobody likes to be told that they’re doing too much, especially at work. Isn’t that kind of counterintuitive? Shouldn’t you be compensated for the work that you do, especially if it’s above and beyond? One employee definitely thought so.