Contributed post by Samantha Garbett
Let’s face it, there are always going to be days where you feel frustrated with your job.
After all, if your job was always fun and enjoyable then it wouldn’t be called work, would it? We all have those moments when we’d much rather be hanging out at home or doing something a little more fun. Of course, there’s a big difference between the normal frustrations that we all have with our jobs and something a lot more serious.
After all, there are plenty of things that can actually end up making your job a deeply unpleasant experience that you shouldn’t be expected to just put up with. From doing something that you really don’t like, to working with unpleasant people, there are plenty of things that are a sign that something is very wrong with your job.
However, there’s one thing that can have more of a negative impact on the way you feel about your job than anything else. And that is working for an employer who isn’t treating you the way that you should be treated. As an employee, you certainly have a responsibility to your employer, but that’s a two-way street and if you’re not being treated fairly by your employer then that can be a serious issue.
With that in mind, here are some signs that your employer might not be treating you fairly.
An unsafe environment
There are certain things that every single employee has a right to no matter who they are.
One of the most significant of these is the right to a safe and secure work environment. After all, health and safety rules have been a significant part of businesses all over the world for years.
However, if you’re working for an employer who isn’t taking the right precautions or putting the right procedure in place then not only is that going to be bad for the business but it’s going to put you at serious risk. Not only that but your employer could be working illegally if this is the case. There are plenty of regulations, including things like the Defense Base Act, that are specifically put in place to ensure that employees are kept safe in their work environment.
If your employer is ignoring those regulations, then that is a serious problem.
Forced overtime
There are never enough hours in the day to get everything done.
This is true for work, home, and just about every other aspect of your life, and a business is no exception. Because of that, there may be times when your employer asks you to work some extra hours on top of your normal schedule.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with this but only if that extra work is optional and you’re fairly compensated for it. If you’re made to feel as though you have no choice but to work overtime, or that there will be serious negative consequences if you don’t, then you’re being taken advantage of.
The same goes for any employee who isn’t paid extra for the overtime they work. This is just your employer trying to squeeze more out of you without offering anything in return.
Harassment
It’s a sad fact that things like racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia are very much still a huge factor in the way that a lot of people are treated by their employers.
From people of different minority backgrounds being paid less than other employees to targeted harassment that is either ignored or actively endorsed by employers, a lot of workplaces can feel deeply unsafe for those from marginalized backgrounds. If that’s the case, the best thing you get to is just to get out as fast as you can. No job is worth putting your personal safety at risk.
Of course, the big question for a lot of people when they realize that they’re being treated unfairly by their employer is “what now?” After all, just being able to recognize that your employer is treating you badly isn’t going to magically solve all of your problems.
Luckily, there are always things that you can do. The first thing to do is to speak with your colleagues. If you’re having issues with your employer then there’s a pretty good chance that they are as well. A bad employer might be able to ignore one person, but if their entire workforce bands together then that’s going to be a whole lot harder to brush aside.
Of course, it may come to the point where the only thing you can really do is to walk away and find something else. That’s not always ideal but you need to make sure that you’re making the right decisions for yourself and something moving on is exactly what you need.
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