Boomer Parent Advises Adult Child to Perform Free Labor To "Get Ahead"

Profile of a happy senior woman smiling at the camera.Photo byRoman Samborskyi via Shutterstock

The disconnect between Boomer parents and their millennial children grows ever wider each day. One such child came to Reddit after getting bizarre advice from their mom about the value of hard work.

Do Overtime for Free

The Original Poster (OP) said their mom advised them to work seven extra hours of overtime - for nothing.

The company allows employees to work up to eight hours of overtime (paid, of course). OP rarely works that much, but their mom thinks it’s a mistake.

Work 15 Hours

OP’s mom thinks they should work 15 hours of overtime each week, the eight they’re allowed, and an extra seven hours for free.

She thinks OP will get recognized for going the extra mile, resulting in faster promotions so OP can climb that corporate ladder.

Is Mom Right?

OP scoffed at the idea, knowing full well that companies don’t care about hard work, but it left a nagging sensation tickling the back of their mind.

Is their mom right? Should they work longer hours for free?

They came to Reddit to see what other people think.

Mom Living in the Past

Most users agreed the mom is way off base.

Maybe showing up and working longer, unpaid hours worked in the 1980s (though it was still illegal for companies to not pay you for hours worked), but it doesn’t work anymore.

The Reward is More Work

Bosses do love it when employees step in to do more work, but the reward is often more work rather than recognition or promotions.

In fact, some companies refuse to promote their high performers, either out of fear that they’ll outshine the manager or because they don’t want to lose an employee who does so much for them.

Never Work for Free

The Boomer mindset that we must work for free to reap rewards must end. We work because we get paid to do a job, plain and simple.

A company must pay us for our time.

Working for free only benefits the corporate overlords. It eventually becomes an expectation rather than a bonus and hurts all low-level employees.

Don’t do it. Your time is valuable, and you should be compensated for your work.

This article was produced and syndicated by Partners in Fire.