People Who Are Overworked & Underpaid Usually Start Saying 7 Specific Phrases At Work
LightField Studios / Shutterstock Everyone gets frustrated with their job now and then. It’s easy to get annoyed when it takes you away from the things in life that you might really enjoy. Still, that doesn’t mean somebody who complains about work has a bad job. At least it pays the bills, hopefully.
But when someone is overworked and underpaid for too long, work may become all someone talks about. They’re understandably angry that work is taking over their life and they aren't even being compensated fairly for it.
If someone is overworked and underpaid, they often start saying these phrases at work:
1. “I’m going to take a break”
Breaks often help people feel re-energized. Someone who’s overworked will want one all the time. They’ll be too tired to work, so they’ll take more breaks than normal to get out of doing their assignments.
They’ll constantly tell their coworkers that they're going to take a break because they can’t focus on the work anymore. Being overworked can make people unable to process the information in whatever task they’re doing. These workers won’t be able to focus, so they’ll keep taking breaks to try to refresh their minds. It won’t work, though, because once they return, they’ll just keep being overworked.
2. “Is anyone else struggling with money?”
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People who don’t make enough money at their job usually start struggling financially. They might have money saved, but if they’re unpaid for a while, that will likely run out. It’s usually the expectation that working hard can make you more money that gets them especially frustrated. Still, if they’re working as hard as they can and still not making an adequate amount, they might wonder if it’s worth it. They’ll seek their coworkers' opinions to see if it’s just them or if everyone’s feeling the same way.
They may start to ask other people they work with if they are struggling in the same way because they want to feel validated that it’s not just their fault. They don't have to work harder to make more money. It’s just that the job isn’t giving them enough of it for the amount of work they're doing.
3. “I’ve been thinking about switching jobs”
When someone is way overworked but still not making enough, they'll usually start dreaming about the possibility of finding a different job out there that they'd really love and that pays them better.
They'll tell their coworkers, “I’ve been thinking about switching jobs.” They’re not just telling them. They want to know other people’s perspective so they can decide whether it’s a smart idea or not. These workers are constantly thinking about a new job opportunity. They don’t want to keep staying in the same terrible conditions that they’re living in now.
4. “We should all just walk out”
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Strikes have historically been a way for workers to get better treatment at their jobs. They work because an employer needs employees to run their business. If one person quits, it probably won't make much difference, but if all the workers quit, the employer will be left with no one to complete the tasks that keep the company running. That’s why workers with bad conditions at their jobs frequently say “We should all just walk out.”
These conditions usually involve not being paid adequately for their time. People who are working too hard for too little money say this phrase all the time to try to rally their coworkers behind them. They’ll want better conditions, and this could be the only solution they could think of.
5. “I have no energy to do this.”
Working too hard can lead to burnout. This isn’t as simple as being tired. It can really damage someone’s mental health. A toxic work environment can make people less efficient at completing tasks. They’ll be unproductive, and their work won’t be as good as they could've made it if they were energized.
Overworked people will mention how they’re feeling burnt out to their coworkers by saying, “I have no energy to do this” when they have to complete tasks. They probably don’t because they’re so overworked. They also don’t have a lot of motivation to energize themselves if they’re not making a lot of money with their hard work.
6. “I stayed up way too late last night.”
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Work takes up a lot of people’s day. If someone works all day and hates their job, they’ll probably want to do something fun at night. Most people who are working harder than they can handle and not making enough money hate their job because it’s not bringing them a lot of life satisfaction. They often tell their coworkers they stayed up way too late the night before and that all they want to do is crawl back into bed.
They knew they had to work the next morning, but they wanted to prolong that for as long as possible. They’re also miserable throughout their day, so they want to cram in as much enjoyment as they can. They’re trying to enjoy life, even though they hate their job.
7. “I hate being here”
It’s easy to be negative when you’re unhappy about something. People naturally focus on negative things more than positive ones. When someone doesn’t like their job, they’ll get stuck focusing only on the things they hate about it. They’ll constantly say they hate it here.
It’s probably because they’re only thinking about how little they’re being paid every time they’re working. They’re also thinking about what they could be doing if they weren’t having to work so hard. They'll repeat this phrase over and over again because they can’t focus on the good things in their life.
Lily Bell is a college student studying English and Publications who covers relationships, mental health, and personal narratives surrounding the human experience.
