Working hard is one of those virtues that is valued so much in the workplace but is often unappreciated in the ways that truly matter. You can work extremely hard for a company and get copious verbal praise for it, but if the amount of work doesn’t match the paycheck, is it really worth it in the end? It makes sense that at the beginning of your career, there might be some years where you’re constantly grinding and only making a buffalo nickel for it. However, if it starts to look like your hard work will never be compensated deservedly, and you’re being taken advantage of because you earnestly embody the value of working hard no matter what, it might be time to look somewhere where your talents are actually compensated fairly. 

One Starbucks worker went viral around a year ago for sharing an insulting Christmas card they got from their management. Though their hard work was praised, their pay rate didn’t budge.