Staying loyal and bending over backward eventually has to pay off, right? After all, we’ve long heard that consistent hard work leads to something good, whether a promotion, a salary increase, or at least some sort of recognition. While this simple formula of success has been passed from generation to generation, the reality is a bit different. All too often, you see, the reward for good work is even more work.

Redditor ubermick knows this from personal experience. One week ago, this employee decided to share their annual performance review with the 2.3 million-strong Choosing Beggars online community. They have been going above and beyond expectations, taking on additional tasks and handling projects with flying colors. But while the company praised the worker for their efforts, they also took any last bit of hope of a raise away.

“While we understand that this may come as a disappointment, we know not every reward is financial,” the review stated. And as you can guess, this didn’t sit well with the user. Especially when they found out that the insufficient funds for their salary bump were apparently sufficient enough for the management. Read on for the whole story and weigh in on the situation in the comments!

Recently, this employee shared their glowing annual performance review showing appreciation for their efforts

Image credits: Proxyclick Visitor Managemen (not the actual photo)

But while they hoped their hard work would finally pay off, the company had no intention of giving them any financial reward

Image credits: ubermick

Image credits: ubermick

Image credits: Edward Jenner (not the actual photo)

Redditor ubermick’s story deeply resonated with many people. In just one week, the post amassed over 20K upvotes and several hundred comments with users criticizing managers who refuse to give hardworking employees the raise they truly deserve. Many others also started sharing their own similar experiences. Unfortunately, it looks like the corporate world is full of manipulative bosses who pile on more work on their already overworked employees and disguise it as an accomplishment.

According to several studies from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, people who are passionate about what they do are more likely to be exploited at their jobs. The researchers found that people see it as more acceptable to make those who enjoy their jobs do additional, unpaid, and more demeaning assignments than those who do not. “It’s great to love your work,” senior author of the research, Aaron Kay, said, “but there can be costs when we think of the workplace as somewhere workers get to pursue their passions.”

The team conducted eight studies with over 2,400 participants and found that we often exploit passion because of two commonly held beliefs. First, our work is its own reward. Second, the worker would have volunteered to do the tasks either way. “We want to see the world as fair and just,” Kay explained. “When we are confronted with injustice, rather than fix it, sometimes our minds tend to compensate instead. We rationalize the situation in a way that seems fair, and assume the victims of injustice must benefit in some other way.” In short, people lean towards believing that working outside of their job description is acceptable because they are indulging their passions. However, we should be on the lookout for these warning signs to prevent ourselves, our colleagues, and our friends and family from slipping into these unhealthy patterns.

Later on, the user clarified a couple of details about the situation in the comments

Image credits: ubermick

The employee also sent back a reply to his supervisor, demanding they reconsider their decision

Image credits: ubermick

But when you take on a workload of two people, you just feel like you rightfully earned a raise. Unfortunately, negotiating a pay bump is still seen as a delicate subject. We all know how tense the atmosphere can get once you invite your supervisor to have a chat about your salary and look for words that define the value you’re adding to the company.

Christine Mitterbauer, a licensed and ICF-approved career coach based in the UK, previously explained that receiving a promotion without a raise isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “It should be seen as an opportunity rather than a meaningless gesture,” she told Bored Panda. Moreover, “There are a few things you could do to make this promotion work even more in your favor.”

“First of all, to many people, being genuinely recognized for their effort and hard work is at least as (if not more) important than just getting more money. The fact that you’ve gotten this promotion also puts you in a better standing when looking for other jobs, and strengthens your visibility and confidence when networking and considering your future options, even if you have no plans of making any changes at the moment,” Mitterbauer noted.

But if you still wish to receive a bigger paycheck, Mitterbauer told us that one proactive thing you can do is negotiate a raise anyway. “Prepare for this conversation as quickly as possible, and come armed with information such as what others are being paid in similar roles. After all, if you left the role, the company would have to pay around that amount to hire someone new.”

“If it turns out more money isn’t an option, then think about which other benefits would make you happier; more flexible working hours, more personal time, or maybe more training and development,” she continued.

As in this case, the company is not willing to give a pay rise at this moment. According to the career coach, another thing you could try “is to get them to commit to a pay rise in the near future. You could discuss hitting certain measurable goals in the coming months, and try to get them to agree to the pay rise if you hit all your targets,” Mitterbauer said and added that you should add dates and precise numbers to make your achievement more credible once the time comes.

“Stay positive and remember it’s up to you to make as much of this situation as possible. Be creative, appreciative, and work with what you get,” she concluded.

Here’s what Redditors had to say about this whole situation

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