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He wishes he had job hopped now.
By NyRee Ausler — Written on Mar 09, 2023
Many people in the workforce stay with their jobs long-term, believing that the commitment they have shown will be rewarded with fair pay, advancement opportunities, and job satisfaction.
One man found out the hard way that sometimes, loyal employees are taken for granted, leaving them feeling undervalued. The distraught employee took to the r/jobs subreddit to vent about the toll finding out his employer didn’t appreciate him as much as he thought they did took on his morale.
He has learned that new hires are being paid double his salary.
He started by explaining that Human Resources had recently asked workers to refer qualified candidates for new jobs in the same role he is currently in. The workload had increased, and they needed more help.
The man was shocked to learn that the job requirements only demanded half the years of experience he had but would be paid nearly double the salary he made after nine years of tenure with the organization.
He waited two weeks after finding out to address the matter during his annual performance review.
The assessment of his on-the-job performance was positive as usual, according to him. So, he asked his manager what the market rate for his current position was to get a better understanding of why he was being paid so little.
The tenured employee claimed that the manager agreed that he was being underpaid, prompting him to ask for a market adjustment to align his pay rate with the work he was doing.
He said that the manager gave him a “fully non-committal response” but did not explain exactly what was said. Nevertheless, the vague answer to a fair request has left him “demotivated and demoralized”.
Since being brushed off by his manager the Redditor’s ability to be engaged in his job has suffered.
Per the man, it has been difficult to “give a crap” about his work lately. He does what is required but is having trouble participating in a work culture that he previously found to be “fun.”
To make matters worse, he told readers that Human Resources has recently implemented a policy forcing employees to be on-camera during virtual meetings. That means he has to put on a happy face while ‘dying on the inside,’ pretending everything is status quo.
The long-term worker is “furious” that after investing so much time and helping his firm to grow and scale, he is being underpaid and undervalued. He now thinks he would have been better off ‘job hopping.’ Though he is upset, he is taking the experience as a lesson learned, and has a newfound respect for the “younger generation” who is quick to resign and find new employment when respect and dignity are no longer being served.
Now, the mature professional is forced to re-enter the job market, determined to find a company that will see his worth. But he continued to beat himself up over the fact that he was loyal to a business that did not return the favor.
People in the comments section agreed that he should have left a long time ago.
One man commented, “This is why the new mantra is ‘2 years and dip.’ If you do not receive a promotion after 2 years, it’s time to evaluate whether or not you will receive one if you stay 3 years.”
Job hopping used to be something that was frowned upon. But as millennials came of age and Gen Zs joined the workforce, they have held employers’ feet to the fire, demanding fair pay and treatment for employees.
They know that if one job doesn’t pay what it should another one will, and are willing to jump ship to get what they deserve. That willingness to go where they are valued has garnered staggering pay increases up to 30%.
Gone are the days when job hopping was labeled ‘Hobo Syndrome’ and frowned upon. Workers now know that sometimes the best way to increase their income is to keep it moving.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.