6 Distinct Signs Your Boss Is Giving You Less Than You Deserve
You deserve more than the bare minimum.
Karolina Grabowska / Pexels Our jobs give us an income, a schedule, and access, but they’re more than just 40 hours of our week. Our jobs are also a kind of relationship. Like all relationships, there are clear ways to know if your work is working for you, or if it’s not.
A woman, Whitney Living, has built an Instagram presence by providing her followers with tips and techniques for finding work-from-home opportunities.
She recently shared a post on how to cultivate work boundaries, especially if you’re working for a boss who’s only offering the bare minimum.
Here are 6 distinct signs your boss is giving you less than you deserve
1. They don’t recognize your hard work
If your boss doesn’t notice or express gratitude for the work you’re doing, it’s less of a reflection on you than it is on them. Your work is valued and valuable, whether or not they tell you. But they should praise you when it’s due!
By not noticing the positive elements you bring to the workplace, your boss isn’t giving you what you fully deserve.
2. They break promises
One major red flag, both in the workplace and outside of it, is inconsistency. Your boss might tell you one thing, yet never put that particular plan into action. By not keeping their word, your boss is showing you their true colors.
Lack of trust and transparency can have a huge impact on your well-being, and your ability to do your job well.
3. They don’t try to connect with you
Your boss should care enough about you as a team member to make a personal connection with you. After all, you’re more than just an employee. You’re a person, first and foremost.
Having a boss who doesn’t make even an effort to get to know at least one small thing about your life outside work shows that they probably view you solely as a means to an end, and not an individual.
Photo: Edmond Dantes / Pexels
4. They ignore your concerns
It’s totally okay to go to your boss with concerns you have about your workplace. In fact, it’s part of what keeps upper management accountable.
If your boss doesn’t listen to your feedback, that could mean they don’t truly value your presence.
5. They forget basic facts about you
Your boss may be a Very Important Person, but so are you. Getting to know you, even just a little, and remembering things about your life, is a sign that your boss cares about you and values your life outside of work, too.
Photo: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels
6. They disrespect your boundaries
This might seem like a no-brainer, but if your boss continuously crosses the boundaries you set, they’re giving you way less than you deserve.
In our age of remote work, it can be a challenge to set time limits on our schedule. Because so many people work from home, it’s easy to let the workday bleed into our time off. But you deserve rest, and your boss should prioritize your time, both during the workday and outside of office hours.
When a boss only gives the bare minimum, it’s about their insecurities and inadequacies.
Living explained that “Confident and caring people connect with their team members.”
She advised that if your boss is unable to do more than the minimum, “Focus your energy on setting professional boundaries so you can gain as much as possible from the experience, despite your boss coming up short.”
Centering your own needs and prioritizing your peace and well-being set you up for a successful future, with or without your bare minimum boss.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.