People With Zero Work Ethic Almost Always Use These 10 Phrases When They Talk To You
RollingCamera / Shutterstock Some people talk a big game about staying on top of their responsibilities, but they don't actually deliver, and their words usually betray their true approach. Most of the time, they put minimal effort into their work. They show up and somehow give the impression that they're actually busy when, in reality, it's like pulling teeth to get them to complete anything on their agenda for the day.
People with zero work ethic will almost always use certain phrases that give them away long before you start paying attention to their actions. They typically have a pattern of talking around their responsibilities rather than facing them head-on. It could boil down to procrastination, as chronic procrastinators usually fail to regulate the execution of their tasks at work, but regardless, it's simply a bad habit they refuse to quit. While everyone has days when their motivation is low, the problem with these people is that they consistently want to coast through life without tackling any hardships or challenges.
People with zero work ethic almost always use these 10 phrases when they talk to you
1. 'I work better under pressure'
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At first, it might sound like the individual saying this truly does their best work when the stakes are high, and their back is against the wall. But in reality, it's just their way of creating unnecessary stress for themselves and anyone who depends on them. Rather than managing their time well and planning ahead so they don't have to be in these stressful moments, they purposely wait to feel that adrenaline.
"If you wait until you are nearly out of time, then rush to finish, you are probably procrastinating. Working better under pressure is an excuse. For example, how do you work better when distracted by stress?" questioned licensed clinical psychologist Bill Knaus, Ed.D. "You may do worse when you've put yourself in a time bind and you feel distracted by emotional commotion and stress. That’s not working better under pressure."
The thing is, it's probably not even their best work. Their best work might actually be when they take the time to complete a task or project rather than working under a ticking clock. They're never the type of plan or even prioritize, and they rarely ever think about the bigger picture either. People who consistently rely on this excuse fail to take responsibility for their work and leave you on hold until the very last minute.
2. 'I don't know how to do that'
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Rather than actually learning and adapting, people with zero work ethic lean on the fact that they're just inexperienced. Someone with an actual work ethic would at least make an effort to figure out the problem instead of just throwing in the towel. The real problem is that they usually use it as a default excuse. Rather than working with others, doing some research, or reading up on the topic at hand, they shut down immediately and make the work someone else's problem.
"The inhibition of curiosity impacts the workplace and our relationships. The pressure of deadlines and expectations adds to the suppression of our desire to explore. We concentrate on the agenda and the task in front of us, rather than seeking to learn and develop," insisted relationship expert Andy Lopata.
They just don't seem to have an ounce of curiosity or initiative. There's simply no intention to improve, so it falls to those working with them. Over time, the more these individuals use this phrase, the less willing they are to grow or take ownership. Not everyone will know how to do something the first time they try, and that's fine. It's about how you approach a topic at hand that you're not familiar with that says more about you than just giving up altogether.
3. 'I'm not paid enough to do that'
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According to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey of more than 5,200 responses from Americans with part-time and full-time jobs, only 30% report high levels of pay satisfaction, down from 34% in 2023. Despite the fact that many workers don't feel they're being paid fairly, some with a low work ethic aren't even doing a semblance of their work, blaming it on their low pay. People absolutely deserve fair pay and clear expectations in their roles so they can avoid exploitation.
But the way this line is used for those with low work ethic usually has nothing to do with their labor rights and everything to do with simply avoiding effort. It tends to pop up when they just don't want to do a task at all. It's performative and makes it seem as if they're pushing back against some evil corporate entity, but they're not really doing anything to combat the belief that they're not being paid fairly. They're not scheduling meetings with their boss or trying to speak with HR.
4. 'I forgot'
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When this phrase is used constantly, it stops being about their memory and becomes more about the fact that they aren't fulfilling their responsibilities. The things they actually care about are things they never forget, but when it comes to tasks that are at the bottom of their list, they magically can't remember. Most people aren't forgetting things that are urgent and need to be handled immediately.
They're setting reminders for themselves because they know that people are depending on them to get it done. But when someone with a low work ethic just forgets all the time, and that seems to be their excuse, it can be frustrating. It shows they really don't care about being productive, even when people are counting on them to be. It stops being an explanation and becomes more of a crutch.
5. 'I was gonna ask about that'
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While most people do think about asking questions at some point and maybe don't end up getting around to it, others just lean on this excuse when they had no plans to ask anything. Those with zero work ethic believe that thinking about doing something is pretty much the same as actually doing it.
Rather than just taking accountability and admitting that they messed up, they try to make it seem as if they were always on top of their responsibilities. It just starts to sound hollow the more they say this without taking initiative. It's fine if it's the first time you genuinely forgot and got caught up in other tasks. But after a while, people stop taking you seriously when you lean on this phrase all of the time.
6. 'I didn't know it was due today'
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Even when the due date has been sitting in plain sight for a while, those with low work ethic always seem surprised when it's time to turn their work in. They think leaning on the confusion about when the due date was means they're absolved for not getting it done. But in reality, most people just end up annoyed, and they might give the individual grace, but that grace can only last so long.
Forgetting the date becomes more of an excuse than a way to get to the root of their habit. It's about time management and putting effort into writing down deadlines and reminding yourself when things need to be done. The issue isn't that the deadline was unclear. It's the fact that it wasn't being properly tracked.
7. 'I wasn't sure how important it really was'
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If something is assigned, there's usually room for discussion and for gaining clarity about the task they're being asked to complete. Those with a low work ethic would rather remain in the area of being uncertain than check in and ask thoughtful questions. The ambiguity is convenient for them because It lets them use it as an excuse not to engage.
It puts the burden on others to be the ones to justify why something mattered. Suddenly, someone has to explain the consequences and urgency to them. It puts the fault on the other person rather than on them for not speaking up and gaining an understanding. It can become quite exhausting to deal with someone who just doesn't seem to care about the task from the start. It's just a lack of effort on their part at the end of the day.
8. 'Can you just do it real quick?'
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People with zero work ethic would much rather pass off their assignments to other people than do them on their own. They're usually saying it in quite a casual manner, as if it's a reciprocated favor when it isn't at all. The person asking hasn't even really scoped out their task, because they never planned to do it in the first place.
Rather than owning the task that's been assigned to them in particular or giving an explanation for why they can't do it at all, they lean on the people around them. When this phrase becomes a habit, it shows that these individuals don't really respect other people's time. Everyone has things that they need to get done, and they can't just put them on the back burner to do someone else's tasks.
9. 'I'm too busy right now'
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While it's normal for people to get overwhelmed and maybe need some support with the tasks they need to get done, those with a low work ethic can never clarify just what they're busy with. The problem with them telling people they're busy is that it usually stops there. They have no plan for freeing up their schedule, and there's no attempt to prioritize what needs to get done. Busy just becomes more of their permanent state of mind rather than something they can try and get over.
"Just doing things and endlessly grinding over tasks that may or may not be important is not only a waste of time, but it is also demoralizing and leads to burnout and disengagement," pointed out business expert Nir Bashan.
The task they have to do doesn't move forward at all. It's also a bit of a shield they can use to avoid accountability. By claiming to be busy, they avoid having to explain what it is they're actually doing and why this other task just can't get done. It sounds reasonable enough that most people hearing it won't think anything of it either. In theory, they're probably thinking they can just postpone the task until later, but it'll usually just sit somewhere, untouched.
10. 'Do we really need to do this?'
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Rather than actually improving their efficiency, those with a low work ethic will immediately avoid doing anything that isn't personally interesting to them. There's also a hint of annoyance in their tone when they say this phrase, as if the task is just unnecessary busywork, even though it's usually quite important and needs to get done. They're attempting to challenge what's expected of them without even considering offering a better alternative.
"When we don’t have a lot of drive, we might not feel passionate about much, or perhaps our passion has waned for a bit. Things that used to excite us no longer do. We also might not see the purpose in our big goals anymore and may start to wonder why we ever thought they were a good idea to begin with," explained clinical psychologist Melanie McNally, Psy.D.
If something doesn't feel necessary, there's usually room to brainstorm and come up with something else. But those with low work ethic are usually trying to get out of doing work, period. They aren't looking for an alternative or an easy way to alleviate the stress on their shoulders. There's also no looking to collaborate either. Instead, they want to be excused from the task altogether.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
