What 'Obnoxious' Bosses Who Expect Their Employees To Work As Hard As Them Get Completely Wrong
Bosses shouldn't expect 110% from their employees without giving them fair compensation for it.
fizkes / Shutterstock The success of any company is often tied to how dedicated and hard-working their employees are, but unfortunately, some bosses don't particularly pay attention to the importance of having happy employees.
In a TikTok video, content creator and businessman, Ben Askins, reacted to a clip of a CEO named Gary Vee explaining what many "obnoxious bosses" get wrong.
Bosses shouldn't expect their employees to work as hard as they do without proper compensation.
"Bosses get employees as if they're there to serve them," Vee began in the clip Askins reacted to. Vee, the co-founder of the restaurant reservation software company Resy and Empathy Wines, called out the "entitlement" of many small business owners and managers, accusing them of being "obnoxious" for having this mindset.
Vee continued, acknowledging that employees should be regarded as human beings and shouldn't be held to the same standards as bosses, especially if they're not getting paid the same amount of money.
"You have people that own companies that [say], 'I expect my people to work the way I work.' I'm like, are you giving them the same money? I've never even remotely crossed my mind in my 25 years that anyone should work as hard as me," Vee added.
He pointed out that his employees work for him, and he works for them. In response, Askins wholeheartedly agreed with Vee's opinion and claimed that it's almost as if bosses are "obsessed" with this idea that anyone working for them must be putting in all of the same energy and doing the same work as they do.
"Are they an equity holder? Are they a direct from the company? 'Cause if you want them to work that hard, that's kind of what you need to do. You need to get them to buy into the mission and then make it work for them financially."
It's this outdated philosophy that employees must work through their blood, sweat, and tears for their employers, and everything else in their lives must take a backseat. Askins explained that you can often see this in the way that bosses will sneer and throw a fit when their employees leave at the designated hour that they are supposed to, instead of staying later.
"If you want them to stay more, pay them more. Incentivize more. Give them equity, give them shares. If you want people to buy into the mission, don't pay them an average salary and then expect the world."
A vast majority of employees have admitted to being unhappy with their pay.
According to data acquired by the Society for Human Resource Management, an overwhelming majority of workers (83%) expect a raise in 2023. Globally, 10% of workers expect a salary increase of more than 15% in the next 12 months, and 18% expect an increase between 10% and 12% in the next 12 months. Meanwhile, 50% of U.S. workers say they're underpaid.
On top of that, in a survey from Bankrate, more than half, 55%, of respondents say their incomes have not kept up with rising household expenses amid persistent high inflation. Only 33% of respondents said their incomes have either kept up with or exceeded higher household expenses.
In the workplace, employees who feel valued for the time and dedication they put into their jobs are the ones who are committed, and in a competitive job market, it's not a far-fetched idea that employees who aren't getting what they want from one company will definitely search for it from another.
Employees shouldn't be expected to go above and beyond, sacrificing a healthy work-life balance, and putting their mental well-being in jeopardy for the sake of a job, especially one that doesn't pay reasonably, but still expects employees to be putting in 110%.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.