OC Tanner’s study claims that 79 percent of workers quit when their employers don’t value them. It happens because underappreciation is a top demotivator. But you can prevent that outcome if you know the most common signs you are not valued at work and how to cope with them.
10 Signs You Are Not Valued at Work
An unappreciative workplace shows you how they feel about your worthiness through actions and statements. These are 10 signs your value isn’t very high in their eyes:
1. They Tell You They Don’t Value You
Some employers don’t pull any punches. They see the unemployment stats and resume stacks and go for the jugular. Thus, the number one sign your employer doesn’t value is when they remind you of how expendable you are.
A phrase such as, “We can have your replacement in here tomorrow,” is a huge clue that you are not valued at work. An effective coping strategy can keep you grounded, though.
How To Cope
Avoid failure, conceit, illness, and quietus if you don’t want your employer to toss you. Maintain the same stellar standard of work ethic, but remember your boss’s perception.
Next, examine how much you value your employer and measure the balance. Adjust your mentality to level the playing field. Your employer’s viewpoint probably won’t change, and thus, you must think like an equalizer. Recognize that you can replace your employer, too.
2. Your Boss Passes You Over for Promotions
Another one of the top signs you are not valued at work is when your boss rejects you for many promotions. The nonacceptance might be for management jobs or status changes.
You can overlook one pass-over, but a pattern of several exclusions isn’t good. It indicates that your employer does not treasure you.
That said, all workplaces have systems and timeframes for advancement. Ask your superiors about their methods to verify whether your promotion requests aren’t premature.
How To Cope
Take time to reflect on your experience and ponder your next move. Decide whether you want to wait it out or develop an exit plan.
You’ll likely lose the will to stay if advancement is one of your primary desires. But, you can work on tweaking your performance if you believe you’ll have a chance to move up in the future.
Read More:
- 16 Clear Signs You Are Respected At Work
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3. They Don’t Offer You Support or Tools
Lack of support is one of the most obvious signs you are not valued at work. An employer will give you adequate mentoring, training, and resources if they want you to grow.
A disinterested company won’t care to arm you with skills or tools if they don’t intend to nurture you. They’ll keep their investments low instead.
How To Cope
Try to gather as much information and education as you can get on your own. For example, you can visit your workplace’s online database and take training courses.
Another idea is to find a senior employee willing to train you. You can slip past the growth blocks and expand your skills anyway.
Read More: How To Express Feeling Unappreciated At Work In Letter (With Samples)
4. You Never Receive Feedback
Your workplace may express its lack of concern by denying you feedback and reviews. They may leave your job performance a mystery, preventing you from knowing how to improve. Such neglect is a clear sign that your employer doesn’t want you to succeed.
How To Cope
Ask your manager for feedback and request a performance review. Be sure to inquire in front of other management members and coworkers you can use as witnesses later. Document his response and store your review records in a safe place.
Try again in 30 days if your boss refuses and do the same thing again next month. Three denials create a pattern, and a pattern is something to discuss with HR.
5. You Feel Undervalued
The gut never lies — believe it if it says employee appreciation isn’t in your boss’s vocabulary. It’s up to you whether you want to wait for the employer’s actions to catch up to your intuitive warnings. If so, you’ll experience repeated exclusions, lack of acknowledgment, and general apathy.
Read More:
- My Job Has Destroyed My Confidence: 9 Ways To Deal With A Low Self Esteem
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How To Cope
The “life is too short” adage sounds like a broken record now, but it’s as accurate as it was when first spoken. Your human lifespan is only so long, and you’ll want to spend most of it being content. You shouldn’t quit yet, but you should weigh the pros and cons of staying if it affects your self-esteem.
6. Your Pay Rate Never Changes
Appreciative organizations offer their workers pay increases, and the gesture shows consideration. Failing to provide raises and incentives shows a lack of care — they can’t value you if they don’t care.
How To Cope
Proactive acceptance is the only way to deal with the signs that you are not valued at work. You’ll need to accept that the company will not change your pay and decide if you can continue there. A job board review may be necessary if you don’t think you can thrive at the current rate.
Read More: Too Awkward to Ask for a Pay Raise? Do These Instead
7. Your Work-Life Balance Doesn’t Exist
Your work-life balance doesn’t exist when your organization doesn’t respect you. You live at the office and fill the weekend and holiday rosters.
Your hours are from open to close, and you’re on-call for eternity. But you don’t have job security of any kind, and you’re the first in line for hours cuts and layoffs.
How To Cope
You can cope with merry-go-round scheduling by setting boundaries and limitations. Decide which days and hours you can’t work and update your availability. Learn to let some calls go to voicemail, and don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Read More:
- 17 Great Ways On How To Make Time For Exercise With A Busy Schedule
- Coworkers Dumping Work On Me: 4 Effective Ways I Used To Stop This
8. You Don’t Receive Function Invites
Exclusion is one of the most apparent signs you’re not valued at work, and it’s equal to “the silent treatment.” Your employer knows you work there, but they see you as too insignificant for inclusion. Hence, their low view of your worth may cause them to overlook you.
Don’t assume the worst if the people at work exclude you once. Human errors happen, and there might be a legitimate reason you didn’t get the memo. Look for consistent patterns first and take action if you realize they’re trending.
How To Cope
Don’t keep quiet if you suspect intentional exclusion. Request a meeting with the person who left you out and ask what happened. They’ll explain with a sincere apology or a gaslit excuse, and you will know the difference.
Some exclusions might happen because you’re not an outgoing person. Because of that, the event planners might think you’re disinterested in attending functions. You can fix the issue by channeling your warmth and expressing your interest in events.
Exclusion could also be a whipping stick in your workplace. It could be an extension of ostracization used to harass “weak” employees. That behavior has a different solution that requires your absence. You don’t have to cope with mistreatment.
Read More:
- 8 Ways To Respond When You Are Deliberately Excluded At Work
- 15 Early Warning Signs You Don’t Fit In At Work (And How To Deal With It)
- “I Have A Good Job But I Am Not Happy”: 7 Steps To Find Fulfillment
9. They Don’t Protect or Defend You
The law binds employers to protect their workers from specific incidents. Unsafe work conditions, violence, retaliation, and discrimination are examples.
Violations can put companies at risk of absorbing stiff fines and harsh penalties. But some workplaces ignore hazards to devalue their workers anyway, which counts as neglect. That behavior is one of the top 10 signs you are not valued at work.
How To Cope
Document all incidents of abuse and unsafe work conditions and save evidence. Contact the HR department and give them a chance to offer a solution, but seek help elsewhere if they fail you. OSHA can handle safety violations, and a seasoned attorney can help you with the neglect.
10. You Get the Stepchild Assignments
Stepchild syndrome occurs when you feel like you’re not quite part of the family. You might experience it at work if your bosses give you undesirable jobs but coddle your peers. This imbalanced managerial style can have a long-lasting effect on your esteem.
How To Cope
Fight the urge to jump through hoops to gain acceptance into the “work family.” The likelihood of reversing their devaluation is minimal — don’t kill your energy trying. Continue in your job as usual, but remember that you might always be a stepchild in their eyes.
Book a meeting with your boss or human resources agent to discuss transfer options. HR can help you move to a different store or sector to improve your experience.
Sometimes devaluation issues aren’t company-wide; a move might make a difference. If it fails, you can search the sea of job opportunities and send your resume to warmer businesses.
Self-Value Is the Equalizer
Some businesses will consistently underrate their workers, but you don’t have to be a statistic. Let your current employer’s neglect catapult you toward growth and change the game. Strengthen your self-worth, refine your skills, and accept healthier job positions.
One of the wisest idioms is the one that says one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Remember it as you journey through your career and choose future roles. You can’t force anyone to see you as a gem, but you can shine for those who do.
Read More:
- How to Handle Conflict with a Coworker in a Professional Way
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