Asklemmy

And because I’m the only one with this job mentality, it’s always me the one who works while the rest do nothing.

This is very frustrating and I’m now applying elsewhere, but it bothers me that my new workplace can turn out to be like this.

You'll see this everywhere. If you're not their manager, it's not worth worrying about.

You think you’re pissed off now, wait til you find out those slackers are making more money than you and will be promoted ahead of you because, well you do such good work, how would they ever find a good replacement?

This following sentences are something that took me years to fully internalize, thankfully it didn’t take more.

Nobody on their deathbed ever said “I wish I worked more unpaid overtime”. Nobody grieving at a funeral ever said “I wish I spent more time at work instead of with them”.

And nobody at your company ever said “I wish I paid you more”.

Well, I don't know if this will help or not, but maybe a viewpoint from the other side would help.

Now, back when I was young, I was more like you, just eager to get in there and go. So I definitely get your perspective.

For many people, a job is something they have to do, and it is often on a schedule they would never choose.

Shifting from "real life" thinking and action to "I'm working" thinking and action can take more than just walking in the door, particularly if the shift hours don't match your internal clock (which is why I have been on both ends of your situation). Having time to shift gears into work thinking may be necessary for some people, and not a sign of laziness.

The early time of a shift is the only time it's realistic to do that.

Now, if they're leaving the work for others, that's just rude, and a violation of professional ethics since the patient always comes first. You can't putz around when patients need care. An hour is a very long time for that mental change as well, I would expect no more than enough time to drink a cup of coffee/tea/whatever.

There was one place I worked that factored it in. You start shift, then report for a sit down chart review, but were allowed to chat and socialize during that. Fifteen minutes, then you go to your area and handle the exchange of shift with the people on shift already. That usually takes about ten minutes with a realistic patient load.

Then, you go and do your patient checks or whatever other duties were in order for the shift you were on.

This was as a nurse's assistant in my case, but the nurses and other patient care staff did the same thing.

But it is also easy enough to see why people in general would end up taking longer without someone pushing them along via policy.

In your situation, there really isn't much you can do. You either do what you're already doing and hope it doesn't grind you down, or you follow the group and use the time to prepare for your shift and thereby make it so they have to step up when it's apparent you aren't going to cover for them. There's obviously differences in U.S. vs German nursing, but I would be very surprised if there wasn't paperwork or other things you could do while they socialize that would force them to do their part.

If there isn't paperwork, or charts, there's gotta be something like organizing and checking medications, stocking any carts with supplies, etc. That lets you do work that benefits you, while staying busy enough that everyone else will have to do their job because you're Andy already doing something. Before I ran out of steam from the mismatch I have with the predominant shift times, I would very often be found prepping the supplies for my shift instead of wasting time, and that meant other caregivers would have to answer their own room calls and such.

Why is work so important for you? I think you'll find that a large number of people simply go through the motions because the stakes are low and their lives outside of work are more interesting. To them, it is an exchange of labor (that isn't valued anyway) for (not enough) money. Why push yourself at work when it simply doesn't matter? And what will drive you nuts later is that people from that "lazy" group will eventually end up promoted over you. The work is ultimately inconsequential, but the relationships built matter.

I don't really have an answer for you other than to introspect a little bit on your work ethic.

Why work when they don’t?

Try focusing on the patients. You work because the work is valuable.

Or, you can become lazy like your coworkers.

Decide which of those two paths is going to feel better for you.

Mainly, stop trying to find a world where everyone else is different. That’s not going to happen, and if that’s your criterion for happiness you’re not going to be happy.

One of the most profound and useful sayings ever is:

Virtue is its own reward.

It sounds naive, but it is not. It is the most practical advice I have ever heard of.

Your work ethic is your own. Don't let others bring you down to their level. If anything be a leader by lifting them up. Yeah nobody wants to be taken advantage of, I've been there. Quick personal story: my friend got me a job working for his parents business as he can't keep up with the work load. Turns out he is a lazy bum, job is easy he tells me I have to do all the work. I use my anger constructively. I do all the work without bitching. Get a hundred times better at it than him. Embarrass him in front of his parents. Get everything I want. Basically I run the show. Hopefully your supervisor sees your worth if not find someone who does. Good luck

You're being used, and your coworkers are more than happy to slack off and give the CEO the finger. The only reward for hard work is more work.

German office worker here. It can be the same, or some other way that drives you nuts. My current coworkers are just extremely slow. I mean really. They "work" all the time, but it takes them like an hour to write a short email. I usually get my days work done in an hour or two and then do my own stuff and will still have achieved more that day than the slow ones. So of course, I get more workload because "I get things done". I sometimes even secretly do their work because I like some of them and don't want them fired... The boss is prone to hiring idiots (I mean, look at the people he has, including me), so it's usually worse people coming in when someone leaves.

That said, your or my situation or variations of them are pretty much the norm. If you really want to put the work in, don't look at big offices or established companies. I guess some small places or startup might be the way to go. Or mobile nurse, where you have your own route and patients. And of course, if you like being overworked, there's always Amazon ...

You lower your head and do your work. You're all adults and what they do is their biz.

You are letting yourself be exploited, look for a place that quickly notice your work culture and grand you a better pay / career.

Edit: how do I deal with it? I don't really care what other do, thigs that don't work are always on the higher ups, if my colleagues are having fun on the job, good for them!

resent forced socialization.

is anyone forcing you to socialize? If so, how are you forced?

And because I’m the only one with this job mentality, it’s always me the one who works while the rest do nothing.

That sounds to me like there are too many nurses then. If everyone can do nothing and you're the only one working, that must mean only one nurse is required, right? Did you inform your superiors about this?

I don’t want to work with people who slow me down.

How do they slow you down? It seems from your post like they just don't do much, how does that impact your speed exactly? You say while they talk, you can work. Isn't that the opposite of slowing you down, they're actually getting out of your way?

80/20 must about everywhere , work places, volunteer organisations etc 20% of the people do 80% of the work.

Well me, I'm a waitress. If my coworkers don't wanna work I tell them to take the cut and go home, then I stay and make more money. And while they're there, if they wanna hide in the back instead of monitoring the floor, well, I shark their tables. Gotta work to make money, honey.

I can't speak for German work culture, but in America, you absolutely will get lazy workers in office jobs.

It's like 99:1 ratio of lazy workers to working workers. Unless you're on 3rd shift. Then you're the only one there.

Is this just the mornings or all day? Do they do any work? Does anyone hustle at any point in the day?

"When I work I like to do my job and then relax."

They like to do it the other way around. They do nothing, then something. You do something then nothing. Why do you feel that your way has to b the right way and everyone else is wrong?

Do your workload, and no more, and be fine with it, or move to another organisation with the same problem.

The goal is for you to be able to understand that people in this world are different to you and that is fine. As long as you aren't doing their job for them, it's all good. If you choose to do that, it is on you.

I'd say this happens everywhere, with some exceptions maybe. Like I used to be in academia, it's generally a stressful environment since you are 100% responsibe for everything. There is freedom in that too, but stressful.

Now I work in an office. There are some that take any chance they get to relax for a bit, socialize, snd so on. I don't, I go there to work. I'm a bit introvert, so I don't socialize much, but I put in some effort not to appear antisocial, but that is it.

I like my work, as in the tasks I do give me some satisfaction. I do it for me. I don't socialize or relax at work because I happen to perfer the tasks. I know I'm lucky here, a lot of people do not get to work jobs like this. My collegues probably do not think the same way about their jobs, and I don't blame them.

What I don't get with what you are saying is the following. If everyone is "slacking off", you get to do your work. I suppose you are not in a position where doing the tasks are satisfying enough to you, and that is why you'd want the others to do the tasks as well. But if you don't get that satisfaction from doing the tasks, don't you sympathize with your coworkers? They too probably do not get the satisfaction they'd prefer from the job alone, just like you? The difference between you and them is maybe then in the desire to socialize at work.

If you, unlike them, do not have any way of getting some base level of satisfaction at work, by the tasks alone or by some other means, and instead start resenting them for trying to get that satisfaction, then if you have to opportunity to change your line of work may help. People will probably still be the same, but maybe you won't resent them?

Totally agree with you, but you’ll never get away from those people because that’s most people.