Is Your Boss Taking Advantage of You?

In today's economy, you can't help but to feel thankful to have a job and to be maintaining a steady income. However, feeling happy in your job isn't a common feeling that most are having right now. Between salary freezes, overtime with no pay, and stress of lay-offs, even those who are thankful to have a job aren't thankful to be in the position they are in. Because the job market is so low right now, finding a new job is nearly impossible compared to the way it was a couple of years ago. Those who are miserable in their jobs need to remain miserable and the reason of the misery is a different story. Bosses have realized that there is little to no job market out there, and that you are stuck. Therefore, they're pretty confident in knowing you can't leave your job, and have no choice but to work even harder. Working harder deserves a pay raise after a while, but not anymore. Working more hours and putting your family last on the list, should just be expected. Seeing that empty desk next to you from the poor person who got laid off last week, because they're job wasn't as important as yours can really make your job stressful. That sad part is, there is no solution to this problem. If you push your luck by speaking your mind to your boss, you're potentially putting your job at risk. Here are a 5 ways you can tell if your boss is taking advantage of you:

Overtime: You're on salary, which means that you aren't paid hourly. Therefore, working 40 or 60 hours a week, will land you the same paycheck at the end of the week. If you work 55 hours a week, and your boss starts to send some threats about your potential future in the company, there's a good chance their taking advantage you.

Favoring: If you have the same job title and description as Joe Smith, and they've been given twice the amount of vacation times, or you know of extra bonuses being passed out to everyone except you, there could be a good chance of some favoring going on. Unfortunately, favoritism is a common problem in many work places.

Empty Promises: If you were promised a bonus for finishing a project, or even a yearly salary increase and you've received nothing since your first day of employment that could be a problem. This would be a good reason to sit down and have a one on one with your boss.

Shorts your pay: Having your pay docked for a 2 hour dentist appointment, the same week you worked a 60 hours, is a big problem. This isn't right, and should be brought to someone's attention immediately.

Unrealistic expectations: Bosses have a tendency of telling employees that they can't leave the office until a project is done. This is often said with no notice and no expectations that employees have a life after work. Having your job threatened if you leave before the project is completed is also a problem. Even with the sensitivity we all need to have in our jobs right now for the security we need. We are still humans, and are still given the freedom of speech. If you feel that you are being taken advantage of, a sit down one on one meeting in a friendly manor could be the best thing to help you with this situation. Always stay calm, and always be professional about problems. You're responsible for your own happiness!