Should I feel guilty about being paid to do nothing?

You work for a corporation, not the taxpayers, and it sounds like your bosses know how much work you’re putting in. I don’t think you need to feel guilty about it. Personally, I’d avoid taking action that may result in others losing their jobs unless that is part of your role at the company. I’d just keep doing my best and if you don’t like the job move on. I’ve had jobs on my feet and jobs at desks, jobs that were challenging and those that were relaxing, some important and some menial, etc. Make the best decision for you but know that every career has its ups and downs and there will always be times you’ll wish you had different/opposite tasks and/or work environment.

I work for the government and have about 2 hours of work per day because I automated much of my daily tasks. The thing that stinks is we use Skype instant message and my boss could send me a message at any time, and I have to respond quickly. Also, if I don’t move my mouse for 15 minutes, my computer automatically logs off and my skype status shows Away. So I have to constantly be by my computer. However, I’ve still been able to play video games, watch movies, read, and work on masters degree. I get paid too well to want to look for other jobs. I think you just need to occupy your mind. Find things to do that interest you.

GovernmentWorker630 wrote:

I work for the government and have about 2 hours of work per day because I automated much of my daily tasks. The thing that stinks is we use Skype instant message and my boss could send me a message at any time, and I have to respond quickly. Also, if I don’t move my mouse for 15 minutes, my computer automatically logs off and my skype status shows Away. So I have to constantly be by my computer. However, I’ve still been able to play video games, watch movies, read, and work on masters degree. I get paid too well to want to look for other jobs. I think you just need to occupy your mind. Find things to do that interest you.

Me too. Goddamn Skype. Many of my coworkers gave up trying to keep it green but for some stupid reason I stand by making myself available in case they are trying to catch me off guard. I too have about three months worth of honest work to do each year, and it is bitterly depressing. It makes me feel incredibly guilty. Everyday I’m surfing usajobs which is even more depressing because there’s $hit out there...for many reasons. However, in this economy (ah 2008 ITE flashbacks) I need these paychecks and can’t really do anything else.

How arnt either of you on Teams yet? The agency I support is. You can also set it to show busy instead of away if you really don’t want to appear away...

And you two don’t have to work because of companies like mine who come in and do all the work for you...not you two specifically. But there are so few govt employees I’ve interfaced with that actually do anything.

It’s great for my industry but terrible for tax payers.

We just obtained access to Microsoft Teams and I doubt it catches on with an older workforce that is resistant to change. You are right about companies like yours coming doing the work. I used to do a daily two hour task and automated parts of it so it now takes an hour. Then I reached out to a contracted automation team that got it down to 20 minutes. I played a role in building the automation requirements, but I didn’t code it myself. Now I just have to click the button lol. A lot of government positions are button pushers and managers of button pushers.

After working a little less than two years at my first job, I got a salary upgrade from about 20K to 25K for my second job at Chemical Bank (this was in 1986). I was hired for a special project, which took about nine months and after that they moved me into the Balance Sheet group, but I really didn't have any daily requirements and was working on the most meaningless, boring stuff you could imagine and certainly wasn't busy.

The hours were 8:30-4:30 and I think I worked past 4:30 only twice in over a year. I swear to God that lots of days I would be looking at the clock when it was only 8:45. I did my best to hold off on taking lunch as long as possible so I could get back and have the least amount of time left before the end of the day.

The one good thing is I took up running in 1988 and it was nice always getting home early as I was training for my first NYC Marathon.

Football coaches and track and cross country coaches would go in to their athletes in a heart beat....but many teachers are not. They are overpaid cowards.

We got Teams last year and use it a lot. However, our outlook status icon thing still uses Skype. I wish they’d just disable Skype so Teams would be our status. No one uses Skype anymore. This is how fucking mental you get as a government employee when your leadership hates telework. If you shut off Skype because nobody uses it you don’t have a status, and then that makes it even worse because they can’t see the stupid status color on your outlook.

It is terrible for taxpayers. Probably 1/3 of my agency could be dismissed and it would be fine.

.InjuryProne. wrote:

Is there seriously nothing you could be doing? Revamping old outdated processes or documenting SOPs?

right??? Like when I'm bored, I eventually start thinking about improving the things around me. At the very least, I make up ways to make things more interesting.

Does OP work as a cow in a feedlot? "Geez all this free grass, but I feel guilty not doing anything all day. Wonder what will happen?"

aw0i wrote:

Football coaches and track and cross country coaches would go in to their athletes in a heart beat....but many teachers are not. They are overpaid cowards.

Wait you think teachers are overpaid cowards? You'll have to be more subtle with your trolling, especially when mentioning educators in the same breath as glorified adult PE teachers.

Its very strange that this is happening. My company and all my friends have already installed <a href="https://stayhome.ai/productiveness-effectiveness-quality/">productivity tracker</a> for time tracking for a long time, I think this is fair. I would feel guilty getting paid for doing nothing

You are wrong... wrote:

flumokins wrote:

Teachers literally haven't worked in a year and get full pay, benefits and pension.

You have nothing to feel bad about.

This is literally 100% untrue. I am a teacher and am grateful for having work right now. A lot of teachers have lost their jobs because of the limitations of remote learning. The work is more time consuming and challenging than it ever has been. Let's be clear, this is not heroic, or something like that, but for you to claim that teachers are doing nothing is absurd.

LoL the good ole teacher trying to control the narrative and continue fooling the sheep. People are starting to get WOKE and you are in trouble. Your egregious lucrative salary will be reduced for a change and funds allocated elsewhere as they should be you overpaid lazy pig.