Companies crave loyal employees. After all, they are less likely to quit, they work harder, and are more enthusiastic about their roles.

However, these people do not always get the recognition they need, and a post on the popular subreddit ‘Anti Work’ by platform user TGOTR is a vivid illustration of this.

In it, they told the online community about their colleague, who didn’t miss a single day in five years, and got such a lousy “gift” for their time at the company that it was more of an insult than a thank you.

This person witnessed his colleague get a “gift” from their employer for 5 years of perfect attendance

Image credits: Prostock-studio (not the actual photo)

But it was so lousy that instead of boosting morale, it caused a lot of disappointment in the workplace

Image source: TGOTR

Employees value two distinct types of respect

Image credits: Tim Samuel (not the actual photo)

According to Kristie Rogers, an associate professor of management in the College of Business Administration at Marquette University, leaders have an incomplete understanding of what constitutes workplace respect, and even well-meaning efforts may fall short.

“My research indicates that employees value two distinct types of respect,” Rogers, who researches respect and identity at work, exploring how workers thrive in the face of challenges around stigma, disrespect, and tensions that are difficult to resolve, wrote.

“Owed respect is accorded equally to all members of a work group or an organization; it meets the universal need to feel included. It’s signaled by civility and an atmosphere suggesting that every member of the group is inherently valuable. In environments with too little owed respect, we typically see Tayloristic overmonitoring and micromanagement, incivility and abuse of power, and a sense that employees are interchangeable.”

“Earned respect recognizes individual employees who display valued qualities or behaviors. It distinguishes employees who have exceeded expectations and, particularly in knowledge work settings, affirms that each employee has unique strengths and talents. Earned respect meets the need to be valued for doing good work. Stealing credit for others’ success and failing to recognize employees’ achievements are signs that it is lacking,” Rogers explained.

Employees who feel respected are more grateful for (and loyal to) their companies

Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)

Because people’s jobs are often a big part of who they are and how they perceive themselves, respectful cues in a professional setting are important signals of social worth.

“A respectful workplace brings enormous benefits to organizations,” Rogers continued. “Employees who say they feel respected are more satisfied with their jobs and more grateful for (and loyal to) their companies. They are more resilient, cooperate more with others, perform better and more creatively, and are more likely to take direction from their leaders.”

However, inconsistent or haphazard attempts to demonstrate respect may cause more harm than good. Employees are likely to perceive vague expressions by HR or high-level leaders that are not enacted day-to-day by managers and peers as manipulative or simply disingenuous. Which might be what happened in the case of the Reddit post.

Workers are no longer afraid to take drastic action if their needs aren’t met

Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko (not the actual photo)

While a little giftcard probably won’t push anyone towards quitting, management can’t forget the importance of (dis)respect. There’s only so much the workers can take. And they’re really eager to act.

“Changing careers has become increasingly common as professionals seek better work-life balance, job advancement, and new work opportunities,” FlexJobs, a company specializing in the remote and flexible job search market, told Bored Panda in an email statement.

While there are many reasons behind a bold career move, FlexJobs’ survey found some of the top reasons driving a career change were:

• Remote work options (50%);
• Higher pay (48%);
• Better work-life balance (46%);
• More meaning or fulfillment (40%);
• Expanding their skillset (30%);
• Lack of advancement opportunities in the current career (28%);
• Approaching retirement, looking for a “second act” (16%);
• Pursuing a passion or hobby (16%);
• Current career has never been a good fit (13%);
• Turning a side hustle into a full-time position (12%).

The survey also revealed that 83% of employed professionals are either trying to make a career change or have tried to. More specifically:

• 58% of workers are actively trying to make a career change;
• 25% reported that they have already attempted to make one;
• only 17% of workers said they have not been/are not interested in making a career change.

“42% of workers are actively considering quitting their jobs right now, with another 20% reporting that they had recently quit their job—meaning that nearly two-thirds (62%) of employed workers have recently quit or actively want to quit their jobs,” FlexJobs added.

As the story went viral, people began reacting to it

And some said perfect attendance shouldn’t be rewarded at all

Either way, many shared their own similar stories of when they felt disrespected by their employer

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