It is never safe to assume that working hard at your job will always be appreciated.

While we are often told that putting in the effort and succeeding at our role is the thing that will get us noticed, this often turns out to be far from the truth. The joke that hard work is only rewarded with yet more work is a bitter reality for many employees, who feel like they are doing everything right, but seem to be left behind nonetheless. 

The fact of the matter is that most workers only have so much influence on the trajectory that they take while they work for a company. Even if they are the perfect employee, sometimes there are business decisions beyond their control that mean they will never get ahead. Although it is not always a lost cause to expect recognition for a job well done, it is important to manage expectations at times. You never know what circumstances may conspire to mean that things do not turn out as you hoped they would. When the big bosses want some kind of sacrifice, it is almost always going to be those who work under them who bear the brunt of it.