UNITED STATES—We all grapple with it time and time again: feeling unappreciated. This is not just focused on family life, but in the workplace. I think both are equally important, but when it comes to work, feeling unappreciated, overworked or not respected can lead to one questioning their value to a company. So many people automatically think appreciation has to be shown via monetary gifts.
However, I am not one who thinks that. A monetary gift is nice here and there, but what so many employers and bosses fail to realize is that their staff simply like to hear the words ‘Thank You’ more than anything. Why? It shows that you see what they are doing and you are empathetic to the level of effort they put into their jobs. Not many employers do that, in fact it’s almost like pulling teeth to actually get most employers to utter those words to employees. Why? I sense they feel if they were to say such things it makes them appear weak or too friendly which could complicate matters in the workplace or the overall dynamic.
I’m a firm believer that it takes a team to operate a company, but when one person feels as if he or she is doing all the work of several employees or more work than what they are getting compensated for we have a major problem. I’ve worked at multiple companies where there is this inside culture within the workplace. For example, you have the following 1) Those that work 2) Those who ‘fake’ work 3) Those who are buddies/pals with members of management and can skate without doing work. There is a problem with such a dynamic, 2 of the 3 situations benefit those failing to accurately perform their job compared to those who come to work on a consistent basis and are always working without missing a beat.
I’m one to never miss work, but if I do, it’s usually because I’m deathly ill or a serious family emergency has arisen. I don’t want to be questioned by my employer on why I’m not at work especially if I’ve given more than a 24-hour notice of the situation. However, you have those employees who miss work all the time, have situations arise last minute, but yet when the company needs something they always turn to the person who is the most reliable. Hey to those of you in management, it does not make you look good to do such things, if anything you’re showing your dedicated employee that you only come to them when you really need something. In all honesty, there work is not being valued it is being devalued if you ask me.
You don’t ask someone who is already giving over 100 percent to a company to give even more and not expect that person to have a bit of emotion involved in the situation. I sometimes think companies are ambivalent to the fact that employees are human beings. They have feelings and don’t want to be treated like trash or garbage, especially when they are dedicating more time to the company than to their own families or personal lives.
That’s the problem with so many companies they don’t realize the value of a strong employee or staff member until that person is no longer with the company or a situation has arisen taking that vital asset to the company out. I’m a firm believer it’s never a wise idea to rely solely on one person to do everything. There is a reason you have specialized divisions in the workplace; some people are good at some things that others are not. Can you train someone to be a jack of all trades? Of course you can, but at the end of the day that person is always going to have one skill that supersedes all the others no matter what.
Simply put, take the time to appreciate those who do for your company that without, the company may not be in existence or can suffer in the long run. Nothing is more frustrating for one employee than to learn another employee who does not even a tinge of the work he or she does receives more pay, more hours or more perks than them. It simply lets the employee who gives their sweat, blood and tears realize their value at the company is not what they expected it to be. Why is that important? It can be dangerous to the employer because once a person realizes their worth they will seek other opportunities that will allow them to flourish and place themselves in situations where they have bosses who not only respect their work ethic, but actually acknowledge it. The sad thing is by the time most bosses realize that it’s already too late.
