(I will note that I am posting this during my lunch hour) :)
This has probably come up before but I couldn't find a thread and I think the conversation is interesting. Many people assert that when you accept a job, one of the things you "owe" your employer is a consistent max-effort during the workday. They hired you to do your best work, and that is what you are ethically obligated to give them.
Personally, I always found that attitude strange. If I am hired to do X & Y, and manage not only to do those, but with a successful dash of Z on top, does it matter that I slack off a bunch and frequently don't give my full effort? While I may have been hired with the expectation that I will give 100%, if 60% is giving them better than they expected from the position, I don't see any problem with continuing in that fashion. I used to think this was pretty straightforward, but I have met lots of people who strongly disagree, citing things like time theft as reasons why the behavior is questionable. Or perhaps the employer overestimated the demands of the position (maybe the last guy was also a time thief!), and it's unethical to take advantage of that by not mentioning your additional bandwidth.
Then there are additional shades of gray. If you agree that meeting expectations is the only ethical obligation, does it matter what you do with the rest of your time? If I build a side hustle on company time, is that unethical, even if I am still exceeding all of my metrics? What about browsing the MMM forum? perusing industry news that is unrelated to my specific job? etc.? Do the answers change if I am exempt vs hourly?
My reasons for working hard are mostly selfish (increased promotional opportunities, stronger network, more marketable skill set, etc.), but I don't feel I owe that to my employer, just to myself.
What say you, mustachians?