“Covering for coworkers can feel rewarding until it turns into months of unpaid extra work. That’s exactly what happened to me. After handling the responsibilities of two coworkers who quit, I spent six months doing three jobs without a raise. It wasn’t until I decided to speak up strategically that things finally changed,” Sophie shared.
Hey Bright Side,
My name’s Sophie, I’m 29, and I work in an office where dedication often gets taken for granted. Six months ago, two coworkers quit unexpectedly. My boss told me and another teammate to cover their responsibilities temporarily. He promised it would “just be until replacements are found.” I agreed because I wanted to help the team, but six months later, I was still handling three roles (without any extra pay).
Finally, I decided it was time to speak up. I asked my boss for a raise, and he brushed me off, saying, “You’re lucky we trust you.” That phrase hit me hard. I realized he didn’t see my work as valuable, only convenient. The next day, I sent an email to the team, including management and HR. I explained:
“Due to staff shortages, I’ve been handling three roles for six months without additional pay. Since trust seems to replace raises here, I’m happy to extend that trust by trusting HR and upper management to review this fairly.”
Within an hour, HR called me for a meeting. Two weeks later, I got my raise. My boss hasn’t called me “lucky” since. That moment was empowering: I realized that standing up professionally, even publicly, can create real change. But I don’t know. A part of me still thinks I did the wrong thing. What do you think?
— Sophie
Thank you, Sophie, for sharing this story. It shows that self-advocacy isn’t rude or unprofessional. It’s necessary to be recognized fairly.
1. Track Your Work and Achievements
2. Communicate Strategically
3. Set Boundaries and Know Your Worth
You believe in yourself or you don't. You should have demanded the pay to cover the work you had been doing before you finally stood up for yourself. You know your worth, don't you? If you had not done that, you would STILL be doing the work of three, with no additional pay. Stop feeling bad, because you have proven that they need you more than you need them. If they suddenly ask you to train someone new, just be careful about it. You don't want to train your replacement.
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