The Extra Mile Is Unpaid
Lately, I’ve been pondering a tiny question that keeps tapping its acrylic nails on my sanity:
When did asking for more responsibility become grounds for punishment instead of promotion?
Because apparently, when I say I want to step up, take charge, grow, evolve, ascend, blossom, bloom, whatever HR-approved verb you prefer, the response isn’t “Wow, initiative!” but “Interesting… let’s cut her shifts and question her loyalty.”
A plot twist no one asked for. Not even M. Night Shyamalan.
And honestly, the math is wild.
Minimum wage. No benefits. No vacation. No healthcare. No stability.
Plus the thrilling possibility that my shifts might vanish like a Snapchat message.
Yet somehow, I’m expected to prioritize the company?
At this point, I’m not sure I can prioritize the electricity bill.
Then there’s the pièce de resistance.
The corporate compliment that arrives dressed like praise but carries the faint aroma of insult.
“We didn’t need to open the assistant position because you already took over the responsibilities. Thank you for going the extra mile.”
Extra mile? Darling, I am driving the entire freeway while the company is still charging the GPS. I’ve practically set up a toll booth at this point, and they still expect me to smile while they speed through for free.
So let me get this dazzling logic straight.
I’m too underqualified to get the title.
Too underqualified to get the raise.
But magically qualified enough to do the job right now, today, this minute, for free?
Fascinating. A scientific discovery, really.
It’s giving: “We love your work, but not enough to compensate for it. Please keep dazzling us at your own expense. XOXO.”
And the corporate gratitude speeches they offer instead of actual value?
A warm, glittering nothingburger, wrapped in faux encouragement and served with a side of “We hope she doesn’t notice.”
But I did notice.
We all noticed.
Today’s employees aren’t “ungrateful” or “entitled.”
We’re just done performing Olympic-level labor for rewards that wouldn’t even motivate a houseplant.
So I ask again, with the poise of someone who can complain while holding a latte:
How exactly am I supposed to prioritize a company that can’t even prioritize paying me enough to exist?
Because this whole setup feels like dating someone who refuses to commit, wants all the benefits of a relationship, won’t put a ring on anything, and then accuses you of being distant.
If I'm doing the work, I deserve the title.
If I'm carrying the load, I deserve the pay.
And if you want loyalty, you need to offer something worth staying loyal to.
Until then, corporate darlings, please stop acting shocked when your employees finally say:
“We’re not your free trial version.”