'I do 70% of my team's work': Employee calls out boss for dismissing work overload. Internet couldn't relate more

In a thread that struck a nerve with thousands, a Reddit user took to the community r/coworkerstories to vent about a workplace scenario that felt all too familiar to many—carrying the weight of a team while management turns a blind eye. What began as a personal epiphany turned into a collective reckoning over how the corporate world often rewards inefficiency with complacency—and punishes productivity with exploitation.

One Employee. 70% of the Output. Zero Recognition.
The anonymous poster began with what seemed like a harmless experiment—tracking their own productivity. What emerged, however, was anything but ordinary. “I found out I’m doing 70% of my team’s work,” the Redditor wrote. “My boss’s response? ‘Well, you’re just really efficient.’”

From managing reports to handling client escalations, from correcting colleagues’ typos to forwarding their forgotten emails—the Redditor was doing it all. The final push came during a one-on-one with their manager. When the disproportionate workload was highlighted, the response was a smiling dismissal: “You’re just really efficient. I don’t want to mess with a good thing.”

The interpretation was bitterly clear—keep shouldering the team’s incompetence, because you’re making everyone else look good. “It finally clicked,” the post continued. “I’m not a team player. I’m a crutch. And the second I stop carrying, this place limps.”

The Internet Had a Lot to Say
The post opened the floodgates for a torrent of shared stories and advice, many of which echoed a common theme—stop saving people who aren’t doing their jobs. A top comment recounted a similar experience during a data entry job. The commenter recalled being criticized for mistakes—until they slowed down to the pace of a long-time team member. “Within a week, the manager realized I had been doing twice the input of the next fastest person,” the user explained. “Your manager doesn’t care because you’re hiding the problems… If you want change, drop the rope.”

Another user, operating in customer service, orchestrated a clever experiment. After noticing a drop in productivity when they weren’t active, they “forgot” to log out during a sick day. “No emails were answered after I ‘left’,” they wrote. Screenshots were sent to the manager. One coworker was fired within a week; another soon followed.

The consensus from the thread? Managers often ignore imbalance as long as metrics are met. And high-performing employees are inadvertently enabling poor behavior when they cover for underperformers.

When Loyalty Becomes Liability
The emotional crux of the original post wasn’t just about workload—it was about the realization that no amount of dedication can fix a culture that’s broken at its core. “Thinking about letting it all hit the floor just to see who notices,” the post concluded. It was not a threat. It was a cry of exhaustion, resignation, and quiet rebellion.

Redditors advised tactical retreat—take a vacation, stop correcting others’ mistakes, or simply reduce output to match the team’s pace. And the boldest advice? Walk away. “Better yet,” one comment read, “find someplace in your field that appreciates you and leave.”

The Silent Cost of ‘Efficiency’
In workplaces across the globe, stories like this unfold in quiet corners, under fluorescent lights. While some workers run themselves into burnout trying to hold the fort, others clock in late, log off early, and let the invisible heroes clean up their mess. The problem isn’t new, but the conversation around it is gaining heat.

The Reddit post not only laid bare the emotional toll of corporate neglect but also triggered a deeper question: When managers use ‘efficiency’ as an excuse to ignore exploitation, who’s really failing whom? Sometimes, the most powerful act of teamwork is refusing to play along.