>Been in the workforce for a decad, now >I am a hard worker

>2-3 years
That's your problem. It takes time to get promotions. Raises not so much. Unless you're working retail or service industry. But two or threes is nothing with a company...

>>18491865
That's true, and I hesitated to even put that with explaining.

I would gladly stay with a company longer than that if I didn't feel like every place was trying to make me their bitch just because I tend to stay focused.

It's always the same, I give my job 100%, then that send my boss a red flag. "This guy does his work without complaining, he shows up every day, and he stays focused the entire time. He's a sucker!" So I play yes man for as long as I can.

So my options eventually become continue to work here and get treated like shit, or get a new job and start over. How long should I let them walk on me?

The problem that I face now is that I don't know anywhere that pays this much that I'm qualified for. When you take my benefits into consideration, I make 16 bucks an hour, which is huge for the region. I moved four hours away from my hometown for this job, and it turned out just as shit as all the others. I've worked here three years and my boss just gave a 19 year old airhead a promotion because he didn't want her to leave. She's worked here three months and is basically my boss...

>>18491891
Get used to it. It's the new corporate America. Hard work and knowledge are no longer valued at many places. It's not what you know it's who you are sucking up to, fucking, or friends with that gets you ahead. If you drink the koolaide and spit it back, are willing to screw over anybody, and check your morals and values at the door, you'll go far. Otherwise plan to get screwed over. I see it everyday and it just gets worse.

>>18491908
I kind of figured. I didn't imagine there was any advice that could help me out besides "You're fucked". I appreciate it anyway.

>>18491984
There's something you can do, but it will be very difficult. You need to make yourself irreplaceable.

Find a way to do your job such that your absence causes business to suffer. Then you can begin to bargain with them. Make them need you.

I don't know how, but it's just something to think about.

You're the guy who always stays late, covers for other people when they blow their shifts right?

"OH Please anon! won't you stay late? it would really help us out!"

Listen, let me tell you something, Absence creates value. When you say yes all the time, youre always there always covering, doing the extra work, you would think that would make you more valuable, and it does to an extent. But what ends up happening is that it is EXPECTED OF YOU, and that is why they put all the work on you, not necessarily because they know you can do it, BUT BECAUSE YOUR BOSS KNOWS YOU WILL NOT STAND UP FOR YOURSELF AND SAY SOMETHING.

That being said, there is definitely a problem here and I will continue in part2.

>>18492043
God, this is exactly what I'm talking about!

They recently fired and rehired a bunch of people, and every other Wednesday they ask me to stay over thirty minutes. I'm not fuckin' doing that shit anymore.

i'm the same way at work - I get the job done, do everything for everyone else without complaint. After 3 years I got promoted. It would have never happened if I didn't speak up and tell my boss what I wanted. I was going to leave just like you want to, but they found out and asked me what would make me stay. I gave them a laundry list of things I wanted and it worked out in the end. Work hard, communicate rather than holding it in, it pays off.

cont.

You have to be able to set boundaries, it may seem counter intuitive, it may seem not how you would go about getting a promotion, but your employer needs to understand a few things

1)Your time is valuable
2)You can get the job done
3)You will be fair, but vocal when things are not right.
4)You are so valuable you can easily find another job and can leave at any time

Understand that something that is always around, in abundance, is not valuable, it can be in high demand, but if there is so much of it around it lowers the value. This does not mean not do your job, or help out occasionally, but your employer needs to understand that if he wants the goods, if he wants the extra hustle he is going to have to pay you for it.