Exploited at Work: Why Hard Workers Get Taken Advantage Of
7 minute read.
“Why do hard workers get taken advantage of?”
If you are someone who has ever gone “above and beyond” at their job, you have likely been taken advantage of. You have been asked time and time again to surpass your mental and physical limits for someone else’s gain.
You’ve done this, and you’ve gotten a pat on the back, but not much else. We call this exploitation.
A person who is physically, mentally and emotionally able to complete work may receive the label of “hard worker“. This label comes with status and a moral superiority. It does not, however, protect the individual from exploitation, injury, decreased quality of life, or even loss of life.
The concept of the “hard worker” exists because of exploitation. As our current economic system developed, workers were pitted against each other, keeping the focus off of greedy bosses and managers — a practice that still exists today.
The “hard worker” is a label bestowed upon us by those in positions of power.
With this transition to capitalism, we saw worsening relationships across gender, ethnicity, race and most of all, class. Those in the higher class have always had more power, and have always decided the types of lives those in lower classes get to lead.
In our culture, being considered a “hard worker” is like receiving a gold star: you are praised, you are made to feel like you are better than your peers, but you don’t actually get a seat at the table, and you don’t get to dole out gold stars.
Navigate workplace exploitation with grace and power.
*Listen to me talk more about the “hard worker” here.
Taken advantage of at work?
Our frame of what being “taken advantage of” must shift before we learn how to navigate exploitation. According to google, to “take advantage of” someone is to “make unfair demands on someone who cannot or will not resist; exploit or make unfair use of for one's own benefit.”
If we hold the beliefs that our bosses are owed our labor and our hard work, we will not be able to fight against exploitation.
So first, one must begin heal.
To be exploited is a trauma. I gently encourage you to notice how the long term effects of being taken advantage of show up in your body. This may include the impacts on your emotional and/or physical health, feeling like you are never enough, having a limited/non existent social life, neglected hobbies, or in short, a lack of your life being lived for you.
“My job is too much for one person.”
Typically, our job descriptions are written with a company’s needs in mind, not an individual’s limit. Job descriptions are also written without considering a person’s capabilities, and they are certainly not written with the understanding that every person’s ability is different.
What is too much for you may be just enough for someone else. This may be due to varying skill level, physical ability, mental load, etc. It could also mean that you have better boundaries, and that another individual, for whatever reason, is more prone to people pleasing.
So really, your job may be too much for one person.
How to Cope with Being Exploited at Work
We work so we can live, not the other way around. Sadly, this ends up being the story for many of us. Here are some ways that you can improve your quality of life while working at an exploitative job.
1. Know your rights.
As a worker, you have rights! They vary by state, and there are some federal laws that apply across the board, but they exist.
It is extremely important to advocate for yourself and your peers while on the job, as you will likely be the only ones doing it. Sometimes, we may get lucky and have a manager that not only knows what their employees’ rights are, but fights for them.
Unfortunately, most of us have bosses/managers that would prefer to get as much work out of us as possible, without “wasting” money on paying for benefits like PTO, paid sick leave, FMLA and maternity/paternity leave. (Cue Scrooge: “It’s no excuse for picking a man’s pocket every 25th of December.“)
Most of us learn from an early age that it is appropriate, even expected to work while we are ill, while we are in crisis, or while we are physically unable to. (School perfect attendance awards, anyone?)
You may feel guilty for calling out, you may feel like you need to make up for work missed during your paid vacation.
It’s not your fault you feel this way.
However, it is your responsibility to unlearn these harmful ideas about work, so that you can further liberate yourself from exploitation. Benefits exist for a reason, and workers’ rights are in place to protect you.
To be clear, your job pays you for your labor. They pay you in your salary, and in your benefits. If they block you from using your benefits, they are stealing from you.
2. Set and enforce boundaries.
Setting boundaries at work can be tricky. You must always be mindful of your job security.
In times like these (spring 2023), labor is strong. Unemployment is the lowest it’s been in decades, companies are desperate for workers, and workers who know their worth are accepting jobs that offer them a salary that acknowledges the high cost of living.
While this may be a safe time for you to set boundaries at work, you should always be aware of the labor climate.
Part of maintaining a business is to make sure departments are fully staffed. This reduces the likelihood of burnout for all employees, and it keeps at bay other issues that come with being understaffed. If a department is understaffed, it is the boss’s fault, not yours.
Can’t work Saturdays? Say no. Can’t work overtime? Say no. Can’t check your email during vacation? Say you won’t.
…
Without judgment, and with curiosity, I want you to notice how you feel after reading the above sentence. What type of internal reaction are you having right now? Are you thinking these types of boundaries sound like a privilege? Are you shaming yourself? Try your best not to place any labels on yourself, or me, and let yourself think about this.
Sometimes, there really is an emergency, or someone really needs something from you. It is up to you to determine what is worth your extra time and energy as situations arise.
You are already here, reading about protecting yourself from exploitation. I’m going to guess that you are capable of making the very difficult, very brave decision to heal from these harmful expectations that have been placed on you.
You are worth it. Your relationships, your quality of life, and your free time are all worth it.
Setting boundaries at work can be tough, get help from a career coach.
3. Do the best you can with what you have.
As human beings, living through what we are living through, the kindest thing we can do for ourselves is to do the best we can with what we have.
We are denied resources and exposed to harmful systems daily. We work ourselves to the bone, only to just afford rent and groceries. We struggle with managing chronic or terminal illness while having to pay exorbitant amounts of money for our treatment. We are oppressed based on our class, and how we look and love.
What you do have, you have worked hard to preserve. You can practice love and gratitude, you can appreciate the time you have with others, even if you are exhausted. You can let yourself rest when you need to, and you can ask for help when you just can’t do it on your own.
You are not alone.
Though it may feel like it, you are not alone. We are in this together.
Despite divisive politics doing their best to divide us by gender, race, age, education level, ability, etc., we are in this together.
Workers make the world go ‘round.
Hey friend,
Thank you for taking the time to read. We work hard to empower readers to take control in a world where we are commodified and managed.
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Very Best,
—Sarah (she/her)
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