or do some other task that helps the company, like take out the trash or clean.
At McDonald's - Time to lean, time to clean.
Misaligned incentives, right? Rather than actually getting more productivity out of workers, they likely got less (or the bare minimum) because there was no reward to do more. If for example I do a job for a dollar and it makes the company 2 dollars and I can finish the quota in 6 hours, they should incentivize me to work the last two hours, as it makes them more. Punishing me with unpaid work loses them money, even if I do it, because likely, the time I would spend working a professional job will be worth more than the time they would pay for a person to do the cleaning or landscaping.
Now if we work for ourselves, like I do now, well, time is money. Seems like I am always trying to work ahead on various things in any gaps that show up in my day.
I think this is why successful companies are increasingly giving people stake in the company.
Sad to say, this practice of handing more work to your most efficient worker is common practice, especially if you are on a fixed wage. Corporate will always try to spin it as "We need to know you can handle the workload so we can promote you....blah blah blah"
That's also the reason why so many employees are pushing to WFH so at least when my task on hand is completed, I can go do other non-work tasks and when the workday is over, I can actually relax and do stuff I want to do. Pretty sure Corporate recognise this too and is one of the reasons why they are pushing so hard for people back into the office.
Was just talking to a friend yesterday about this and he works from home, but feels that it is no longer a home at all. With summer holidays coming, he would normally spend a lot of it at home doing tasks around the house, but now it feels like an office, so he doesn't want to be there at all.
That's where boundaries are very important, especially if you WFH. For some people, they need a dedicated workspace that trains their mind that this is where I work and the only place I will work at home.
When I WFH, I work at the dining table, but I always make sure to clear up once work is done. Firstly, I need the space for dinner and secondly, out of sight, out of mind. If the laptop is not there for me to turn on or use, I wouldn't. Humans are resilient and adaptable, remind your friend that.