Overworked and Underpaid?
As a person, we perform labor so as to produce economic value. We are exerting effort to accomplish something that we need in exchange for something that is valuable to us. Students study their lessons to get a grade, entrepreneurs selling goods to have profits and employees work in exchange for salaries. We spend most of our time working and that is what we normally do.
Even as a child, we are getting ready to perform work by playing. We play because we are preparing for the future and that is what our body tells us. Because that is what we will do for the rest of our lives in order to live. We have to work and get something in return. But sometimes, what we do is not equal to what we are getting in return. We are being paid less than what we have worked.
How do you know if you are being underpaid and overworked? What must be done to resolve this issue?
Overworked
As a student, we are studying hard to get high grades. We spend lots of time reading, reviewing and practicing what our Professors have taught us because we are preparing for the quizzes, recitations, hands-on activity and examinations and we also work hard on our projects. At the end of the semester, we are hoping that we will get the grade that we deserve.
As an employee, we are taking our paper-works at home. Aside from working over-time in office , we also continue our work at home maybe in a form of paper works, or we are physically at home or in a vacation but mentally at office. We also bring our work problem with us using our laptops or telephones. Or we are just working beyond our job description. Of course there’s some explanation why we are doing it. One good reason that I can see, and that is because we want to be acknowledged and be promoted. We believe that we deserve more than what we are currently having. We want to stand out among our co-workers and show that we can do better than anyone else.
Underpaid
At the end of the semester, students will receive their grade from their professors. And it is a very exciting day for them because they will know the outcome of their performance. And for some reason, we do have an estimate range of our final grade based on what we have done during the past semester. But what if we got a grade lower than expected? In that case, we are being underpaid.
An employee is considered underpaid if he’s not getting what he really deserved. Office politics is one of the major problems in a workplace. An employee does not get the value that really belongs to him. When you have done something beyond your job description, to the very least, you should be acknowledged. Take a look around, see what your colleagues are doing. Are they working hard just the way you work? Are they performing well like you do? How long are you working hard and what have you received in return? Do you receive any payback for what you have done? Do you receive any recommendation or promotion over the years? You might be underpaid. Your colleagues are not because they are just working equal to what they are receiving at the end of every month.
Conclusion
So after you realized that you are overworked and underpaid, what must be the solution to this?
If the problem on your workplace cannot be resolved, it is not just a problem anymore. It is already a situation. A situation that has been there for a long period of time and you do not have any control over that and there is nothing that you can do. Take a look at your colleagues, are they complaining that they are being underpaid? No. Maybe because for them, they are just exerting the exact effort for their salary. You are complaining because you are exerting effort and working beyond what your employer is paying you. So you have to make some adjustments. You have to work exactly the same way your co-workers perform. Or less than that if they are receiving a higher salaries than you do.If you cannot stomach the way your colleagues work, you do not belong to that workplace. Find another workplace that is headed by a competent and qualified person in charge that would appreciate your working habit and skills. You deserved to be acknowledged and through your supervisor, your big boss will get to know you as an asset and give you your true economic value.
There are things that you should consider, the most important is your health. One time I was admitted to Hospital due to Stress. All laboratory tests turned out fine and my Doctor advised me to take some good bed rest and relaxation habit. Health is wealth so don’t let your work destroy it. Another is your family. If you are bringing your work at home, you will have less quality time with your family. Do not let your work interfere with your personal life. It might build a gap between you and your love ones. So if you are at home, make yourself at home. Relax and spend that quality time with your family and friends, not with your laptop and co-workers or boss on the other side of your mobile phone. Play around with your family and friends, have some rest and a have a good night sleep.
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Tags: Career
Regie Rivera is a Filipino Graphics and Web Design enthusiast from Pasig City. This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 at 2:03 am and is filed under Career. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.