It’s a known fact that the average person spends ⅓ of their lives in the workplace. Still, that statement doesn’t account for commute time, mandatory overtime, later hours at the office, or the never-ending phone calls or emails that many supervisors expect answered even outside of work hours.
Today’s society is driven by instant gratification, “hustle” culture, and tying success to financial status. Where and when do we turn it off?
What expectations should we have surrounding our jobs and careers? How do our workplace expectations, demands, and boundaries affect our communities as a whole?
Workplace Expectations
Let’s discuss four workplace expectations that should be considered non-negotiable.
An Actual Work-Life Balance
Modern society has conditioned us to believe that a work-life balance is almost unattainable, but that is a myth. From part-time jobs for high school students to the highest level of corporate America, we need to set boundaries with our employers and co-workers.
We get hired to perform jobs for a duration of time, not all the time.
If you find that your employer is constantly asking you to pick up shifts, work late, or calls you on your off days or vacation, it’s time to reevaluate. While establishing boundaries with your workplace might seem daunting, it shouldn’t be.
Outside of the specific allotment of time you’ve exchanged for a paycheck, you own your time.
Time is your most valuable currency. Yours is worth more than you’re getting paid, no matter how many zeros in your bank account. A lack of work-life balance leads to burnout.
A Physically, Psychologically, an Emotionally Safe Environment
Just because you step onto company property does not mean you automatically become company property. You are a holistic, autonomous being with thoughts, feelings, emotions, and needs.
It is your company’s responsibility — not to mention their best interest — to cultivate and maintain a safe working environment free of hostility, threats, racially charged comments or actions, sexism, classism, or other workplace abuse.
Safety in the workplace is a right, not a privilege.
Appropriate Compensation
While it is understandable that your employer expects you to perform at a specific level, asking you to overperform, adding additional responsibilities, or eliminating support staff without a pay increase is unacceptable and unethical.
A company will often lose an employee, and the former employee’s work will become the remaining employee’s burden.
When the remaining employee is not compensated for this extra work, it leads to workplace resentment, stress, and burnout.
Workplace Rights are Human Rights
The expectations you set of your employer aren’t limited to the above three concepts.
You are human, and you should expect — and demand — that your rights are respected, your boundaries not violated, and that the relationship between you and your employer is mutually beneficial.
Conclusion
At CommunityBuild Ventures, we believe that we can create communities where everyone thrives. We know that experiencing burnout due to workplace stress can carry over to the rest of your life and, in turn, your family and community.
We believe in emotional self-care, community care, and understanding how to prevent burnout so that our communities can prosper.
For more information on the services we offer and how you can reduce workplace stress, burnout, and keep our communities thriving, contact a member of our team today.
