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When I had a job before my company, I always did as much as I could physically get done, and never once worried about what was required or what was not required. I was raised to believe that when you agree to work for someone for a wage, than you do everything you can to fulfill that requirement. If it is not enough money then you can always renegotiate, or you can quit, but every day you show up, you show up and do your best. Which may be one of the reasons I have always been able to go back to work for any of my former managers, despite being a prima donna in my younger age.
Over my 42-year career I always did MUCH MORE than required. I stayed very late at night, without extra pay, sometimes to finish my daily work and sometimes to research legal files in order to learn more. As a result, I was promoted more times than I can recall and went from a minimum-pay job to accounting and then to legal.
In the 1980s, when oil/gas went bust and every company for which I worked (6-7 of them) was bought out in 12-18 months, I always had a job the next day because of my reputation on the street.
I'm retired now and living nicely on a good pension and other benefits, which wouldnt have been possible without my ambition and drive. But I didnt do it for any reason other than that I always wanted to walk out the door at night knowing that no one could have done a better job than I did that day. It never mattered if the boss didnt realize that -- as long as I realized it, that's all that mattered.
I do more than required, but it's different I think because I work in health care. I'm an OT in a nursing home, and I do all sorts of extra things for people. You see someone struggling to wheel their wheelchair to church or bingo, and it's going to take them 20 minutes...I will go and give them a "ride", or go get them cookies and things like that.
In terms of my documentation and other work "chores" I'd say it depends on the day. Some days I feel more energetic and ambitious, and I'll stay late to finish paperwork, other days just want to make it to the end of the day and go home.
I do the minimum. However, my minimum includes making sure that what I hand in is of good quality and getting it done in a short time frame, even if that means I have to stay late to finish the work.
Other people just leave at 5 pm every day and whatever gets done, gets done.
It's like handing in homework or taking a test at school. I was an A student, but I would NEVER do more work than was required. I wouldn't make up my own homework problems or add another question to the test. Doing the required work was hard enough. So, is your definition of minimum getting a 100 on a test, a 70, or a 50.
Because if it's not 100, that means doing 'just what is required' means doing just enough just not to get fired. Know what I mean?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Doing more than what is required is the reason that I consistently am rated "outstanding" at annual review time, and therefore get the maximum raise percentage available. Many people would rather be lazy and kick back, and make less, but I happen to have a work ethic such that even without the financial motivation I would always do as much as possible
to be productive.
I do enough to get "meets expectations". I already make well into the 6 figures and work less than 30 hours a week, and have 25 years of expenses saved up. So what if I'm lazy, it's not like my job betters society much, if at all.
I've reached the top of the payscale in my department. The next step up would be to become salaried, but with the amount of hours that would be necessary I'd basically be loosing money and not having much of a life. I do the required amount of work but generally don't put much more effort than that.
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