To wonder why bosses don't show enough value to their staff

[moanymoaner]

Not all I know but I've been working for 20 years now and I've never come across a boss who actually values their staff and treats them nice all the time when they work so hard?
I bend over backwards to make sure I'm doing a good job and fulfilling my role yet I'm totally replaceable in their eyes? Is everyone replaceable ? Even people who are really passionate and give their all or do some managers get it really wrong?

I think you're asking too broad a question. Some people are valued by their employers so much that they are given thousands in bonuses and expense accounts. Others are very easily replaceable and may not be valued all that much because there will always be someone else willing and able to take their place. It really depends on the type of job you have.

I bend over backwards to make sure I'm doing a good job and fulfilling my role

Why?

Tbh it depends what you’re after. Personally I’m happy if a boss/manager just leaves me to it but if you’re after praise/financial reward or even flexibility that depends very much on what is in their power to offer and their personality.

It’s a fairly simple arrangement - I turn up, they pay me. Anything extra I either do because I personally gain satisfaction from it or it benefits me in some way.

I don't bend over backwards to do my best at work. I do just enough work to not get sacked. I used to work really hard, but its not appreciated, not thanked and never enough.

Just because I am really conscientious . Maybe it is too broad. I just hear a lot of people say "no one is irreplaceable " and it makes me wonder why, why there isn't more value on keeping staff that replacing them that's all.

You are generalising your own experience.

I’ve had some dreadful bases but I’ve also had some fantastic bosses.

My current manager is great and genuinely cares about his staff and lets them know they are appreciated.

I’m sorry you haven’t had better experiences but why stay if you aren’t treated well? Move onwards and upwards.

It never used to be as bad as it now OP.

I think the problem escalated when tax credits were introduced. Everyone wanted a job working 16 hours a week so that they could claim the generous tax credits and there are hundreds of thousands of people out there that WILL do the job. Not because they want the job, but because they want the tax credits and other perks that go with in.

On that basis, I can kind of sympathise with employers for not valuing their staff.

Op im sure you didnt mean it this way but it saying 'bending over backwards and fulfilling my role' - do you mean you go above and beyond and are flexible or do you just do what is asked? Because ive met plenty of great hard workers who go above and beyond for their employer and get the same in return, but i've also met plenty of people who think turning up and meeting target in very common entry level jobs is somehow bestowing upon their employer a great gift and their employer should then do them all sorts of favours on top of paying them a decent wage (i am thinking of a v specific employer who pays VERY well for entry level positions) I have also had the kind of boss you describe, so its frustrating when you havnt come across one of the good'uns.

I completely agree. I've been in my job to a big company for 6 years which doesn't seem long, but people my age seem to jump from job to job or are still in party mode. Company has never rewarded us once with bonuses, free products or even put a penny towards a Christmas do(not that they have to, but they can certainly afford to).

Not just the company though, immediate managers don't seem to care about the staff at all. My first manager was amazing and I loved her but one thing went wrong and nothing was her fault, it was the staff. 2nd was never there and left me in charge a lot of the time, despite never having any management training (at the time). 3rd and current couldn't care less about the company or her staff, bitches about one of the girls to another and vice versa. It's a small team so word gets around and no one knows who to trust. I hate it with a passion, which is a shame because I loved the job at first.

Oh ok so for clarity bending over backwards in my world means above and beyond , always doing more than asked and ahead of shedule, flexible and anything extra is never an issue.
I'm glad not everyone feels the same I was starting to think it was just an overall way that people are treated but maybe not. Also to clarify , I have a super manager now, it was more the companies attitude towards staff being replaceable .

Aw ok, I feel your pain. Glad to hear you have a good manager now. My old boss was the same, nothing i did was good enough even when i was covering people's sick days, changing my shift at a moments notice... i asked to finish an hour early once and she didnt let me because she had the afternoon off and felt like one of us should be in...despite the fact I could get cover

My last boss but one boss was ace.

Allowed me to attend everything with my children- told me to work from home that day. If a meeting was scheduled would tell me to send my apologies. She said I couldn’t get that time back with my children (she had no children herself).
Would always say thank you and email thank you for anything you done for her.
Would treat those of us that were senior managers to the odd day off here and there if we had been snowed under.
Would never undermine us to those we were managing.
If she gave us extra work, always asked if we were able to do it, before handing it over.
Always kept us in the loop ‘keep this to yourselfs but xyz has been mentioned’ so we always knew what was going on in the company and nothing was a surprise.
Always authorised our expenses the day we sent it in.

In return we worked hard, split someone’s work between us if they were off, hardly had sick days, always done the work she asked as soon as possible, kept her in the loop with everything we knew so she never had a surprise, and in the staff survey came out as the best department 5 years running (we’ve all since left so no idea what it’s like now!!)

it was more the companies attitude towards staff being replaceable

Well yes, but the truth is everyone is replaceable.

Even people who are highly experienced and highly skilled. Even people who think they are “holding the place together”.

I’ve seen it time and time again, people leave, retire, go on sick leave etc and think the department/team/company will be in dire straits without them.

Generally they are missed for about a week and then everyone adjusts and life goes on.

Companies do want to retain good staff, those with skills and experience. But not at any price. It’s mostly just not that hard to replace people.

My guess is they are not appreciated either

And They have not even attended basic management training that shares the basic fact that people who are appreciated , work better

They are poor leaders

What sort of appreciation do you want or expect? If it’s as basic as ‘my boss not to be bullying me’, then you need to go through bullying policy or whatever you have?
If you want flowers and chocolates? Tough probably. You get paid to do your job.
It’s something in between probably. Ask for what you need or want. Make suggestions.

Why would you bend over backwards? It’s just a job. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I generally do as little as I can get away with!