Slacking at work may actually have its advantages when it comes to corporate layoffs, according to career coach Kelly Volkmar, who pointed out one “very frustrating” reality: “the slacker Bob sitting next to you is actually safer than you as a high performer”.

On her Instagram @corporateclarity.career, she explained in a short video: “It’s because slackers are very annoying, but they’re harmless. They don’t ask questions, they don’t challenge decisions, they don’t expose problems. High performers do. They push, they question things, and they move fast — and that creates pressure. And pressure exposes where the system is broken.”

She added, “The irony is slackers p*ss off high performers, but high performers threaten leaders.”

Most commenters agreed, with some self-described “high performers” saying that after doing more and getting scolded for asking questions or challenging what they felt were bad decisions, they’ve learned “not to work so hard”.

One commenter said, “I used to be a high performer — waste of my time, got paid the same for doing much less and less stress.”

Another shared, “My mentor told me ‘you get paid the same whether you’re a superstar or you make mistakes all the time’.”

A third added, “It took me a long time to realise the best thing to be in corporate America is borderline invisible. Just do your job well enough and consistently enough that people forget you exist. Then once or twice a year (just before a comp review cycle) emerge from obscurity with a good idea… then disappear again.”

Others also mentioned mastering “the subtle art of minding my own business”, with one commenter sharing that after realising his extra efforts weren’t always rewarded, he now sticks to “no drinks after work, no co-worker friends on social media, no office politics, no cliquish behaviour”.

“Some people’s entire identity is their corporate job. If there is enough genuine fulfilment in your life outside of work, you won’t be so emotionally invested. So long as no one messes with your schedule and you aren’t micromanaged, perform your job to the best of your ability and clock out,” he added.

Several others shared that, unlike high performers, slackers are the ones getting one to two per cent salary increases, with some describing them as ‘pragmatic survivors’ who have learned the rules of the system and are getting paid to do enough while being politically competent.

Labour market exchange data from Malaysia’s social security organisation (PERKESO) appears to support what Ms Volkmar said and what netizens observed.

In January, 53.7% of job cuts in Malaysia were high-skilled workers. The numbers even edged up to 54.4% in February.

In the little red dot, the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM’s) latest labour market report also showed an uptick in layoffs among professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) compared to the broader workforce, surpassing pre-recession norms. /TISG

Read also: Are corporate jobs no longer the goal of the younger generation? Gen Z claims she was ‘brainwashed’ into corporate

This article (‘Slackers are annoying but harmless’: Why high-performers are getting laid-off in corporate) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

AUSTRALIA: The income of a partner at PwC Australia rose 6% to AU$814,000 in 2025, even as the firm’s profit fell 2% to AU$608 million — marking the second consecutive year partner pay increased despite lower earnings. 

Chief executive Kevin Burrowes expected partner income to increase “quite significantly” this year.

According to the Australian Financial Review (AFR), Mr Burrowes said the firm’s artificial intelligence (AI) adoption had boosted efficiency, with productivity gains lifting company profits towards the end of 2025 that continued into the first quarter of 2026.

In fact, Mr Burrowes said he would have expected the company “to have an excellent year”, with “too much demand” for its services, if not for the Middle East war.

“Super delighted with the momentum the firm has got…But I think the thing I’m most proud of for the firm is that our productivity has improved in our business between 10 and 20 per cent,” he said.

He also noted that the firm’s direction would involve “fewer people doing the same amount or fewer people doing more”, as staff and partners used AI tools to “do more with less”.

The figures, however, drew backlash from netizens, with one saying, “So this is what AI will drive. Wealth concentration and the ordinary working person get let go or paid less.”

Another wrote, “So a bunch of executives sacked staff, blaming AI, then gave themselves a fat pay rise. Got it.”

A third added, “Soon enough, they won’t need the partners either. They’d be able to save AU$814,000 a pop and in other instances millions.”

Mr Burrowes was brought in in mid-2023 to lead a turnaround following the firm’s tax leaks scandal, when a former senior partner shared confidential government tax plans with colleagues. He is expected to step down at the end of the year.

Probes, including by the Australian Federal Police, into former partners linked to the tax leaks scandal are ongoing. /TISG

Read also: Time is running out for nearly 9,000 Australian workers to claim lost Superannuation savings from collapsed funds

This article (‘So this is what AI will drive’: Workers react as PwC partner pay rises amid AI push and fewer staff) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.