Sometimes, when we’re working hard and focused only on career path, we tend to forget to look out for ourselves. We keep sacrificing our needs in order to complete our work. Whether it is to get a promotion, to get a higher salary or just to impress our boss, this kind of behaviour, while good can be perceived as a weakness for others. 

Some employers look at you determination and hard work as a way for them to take advantage of you. They use your dreams against you and start overworking you and taking you for granted. This kind of behaviour should not be tolerated, and you have to act immediately. 

Sometimes, you don’t even realise that you boss is taking advantage of you, so, here are the signs to look out for:

1. You are constantly working overtime.

There’s nothing wrong with voluntarily working overtime, however when you keep working overtime regularly because you have to and not because you want to, that’s when things go wrong. You work-life balance gets out of sync, and you barely have any time for yourself. 

If you are in an industry where people always work long days, or you’re being paid for your OT then it shouldn’t be a problem yet. However, if that’s not the case and you are forced to work OT without any payments then that just means your boss is taking advantage of you. 

What should I do?

Gave an honest conversation with you boss. Explain to him how the extra hours are affecting your health and you feel like it could lead you to burnout. Tell him that while you are still a team player and you still care about your job, you worry that because of the workload, you feel like your productivity and work quality has decreased.

2. You’re more of a personal assistant to your boss

Unless you’re actually a personal assistant, your responsibilities at work should not include bringing coffee for your boss or buying him lunch. You should be focused on building your skills and doing the job you were hired to do.

What should I do?

Don’t say this is not my job description. Instead, tell your boss that you’ve realised how your responsibilities have expanded and want to know if it is permanent. This might make them realise what they’ve been doing or maybe not. If it doesn’t then explain to them how you want to focus your time and energy on completing the more important projects and ask them if you could reassign the coffee duties to your intern. 

3. You’re doing your jobs and someone else’s

With COVID-19, there have been many workers who have been let go because the company cannot pay them anymore. Normally when this happens, you are forced to take over that person’s job. Before immediately thinking that you’re being taken advantage of, ask your boss how long it will last. If it is only a few weeks then, there’s not harm helping out. 

However, if it is going to be long term, or if your boss tells you or indicates that they won’t be hiring someone else to do the job or delegating the job to the other employees, then you’re being taken advantage of. 

What should I do?

If you don’t mind doing the other person’s job, you should still be compensated for it. So, maybe you can discuss with your boss about maybe adjusting your income to match your new role. If your boss says that there will be no raise, then ask him how else you can be compensated for your extra work. 

If you don’t want to take on the extra work, then discuss with your boss about delegating the job between you and your other co-workers. Explain to him how the overload on work is affecting your productivity. 

4. Promotion or raise promises are not yet fulfilled 

So, you work hard, and skip hanging out with your friend just to work extra because you want to move up the career ladder. You boss also tells you, work hard and you will get promoted. So, you do extra work, and you work extra hours for years or months and still you’re not getting promoted. 

Your boss keeps dangling the promotion in front of you, making it seem like it is within your reach if you work harder but that’s all it is, false hope.

What should I do?

Ask you boss about it again, and if you get another vague answer tell them that since both of you think you deserve a raise, you’d like to set a date for when you can expect the promotion or the raise. 

5. Your boss steals credit for your ideas

This is the most obvious sign that your boss is taking advantage of you. If your boss wants to mention an idea that you gave, they should give you the credit for the idea, so that you can make a good impression in the company which could get you a promotion. 

What should I do? 

Instead of going above your managers head or doing things behind their back, just point out to them politely how you are the one who suggested that idea. Maybe they forgot that it was your idea.