Effort is SO overstated

A friend told me that she is awarded with less year end bonus than she expected, and I consoled her, telling that what she'd got is pretty good already, considering it is almost 8k.

She insist that she had worked hard in her job, and hence expect nothing less than 10k. She also insist that her boss is doing her a disservice. I argued that many people work hard in their job too, but never get the award they deserve. Sometimes bosses are not able to offer fat bonuses simply because the company cannot afford it.

And then, she went up to her boss, and demanded that she get the 10k bonus and guess what, the boss conceded.

She came back to me, gloatingly, saying that this is the least she should receive, and in the first place, her boss shouldnt had shortchanged her.

I was happy for her, not only for the windfall (wait till she hear I use this word, 'It is not a windfall, it is ALL my effort!' I can almost hear her threaten with a voice too shrill) and also for a boss who recognise her effort enough to want to appease her.

"No lor. It is all my effort. I worked hard ok?"

Suddenly I was very pissed. Putting in effort at work is a basic requirement at work, no? Since when is putting in effort a magnanimous accomplishment? But having a boss to acknowledge your effort, however little, is an important criteria to getting good rewards.

Your boss can jolly well ignore your request and leave you to munch on leaves and earthworms, and eventually watch you leave the company, or your boss can pay you well and retain you. But it is him/her who has the say in what bonus you get, and what monthly salary too.

So, get a bad boss, and remain cursed, like how I had suffered previously.

Maybe it is because she had never worked with a lousy boss enough to be appreciative of good ones, but I had always heard her talked about him, and felt that he is unreasonably nice. Hahahaha.

And I always wish I will eventually work for a boss who is just as nice. Luckily I do.


I am irritated at how she is so unappreciative of her boss, and always complains that he treats others better than he treats her. And in this incident, how can she just dismiss her boss's generosity? I cannot comprehend.


But to give her credit, it is admirable of her to demand for what she thinks she is worth. I was telling Lynn that night that usually woman are bad negotiators for salary increase, but this friend just proved the theory wrong. Hurray to her, hurray to ladies.