Toxic Workplace: Overworked and underpaid, signs you are being taken advantage of

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Nichole Harrop, a career coach helping women get promoted at work. Nichole talks about her own experience where she was being overworked and not being compensated fairly so you can see the signs you are being taken advantage of and can start planning your exit strategy to a better job. In addition, Nichole also discusses setting boundaries and expectations in your new job so being overworked doesn’t happen again.

QUOTES

• “The pay was one issue, and then the maternity leave was honestly, the last straw where I was like I can’t be a support to this company anymore if I can’t be supportive when I am having a baby.”  - Nichole Harrop [33:36]
• “I was upset that I was being treated this way after being told that you were so great, so don’t let the lip service dictate how you’re doing, also make sure that it’s coming back to saying, hey you’re always saying how great I am, I love to see what that looks like in terms of a pay increase.”  - Nichole Harrop [52:02]
• “Recognizing when people are saying things, but not following through on them and setting a boundary, at what point do you start looking for something else because I promise you there is so much more out there.”  - Nichole Harrop [56:47]

TIMESTAMPS

• [1:24] Meet Nichole
• [4:31] Being a smarter manager and using the skill of delegation
• [7:35] Asking for help at work
• [9:56] The start of Nichole’s story and how she got hired at the company that later began overworking her
• [16:07] Why it is a red flag when your manager states that they will renegotiate your compensation later after you accepted new responsibilities
• [18:02] Showing you are a team player and also being compensated fairly
• [21:47] Initiating the difficult conversation of asking for a raise and balancing your workload
• [28:50] Her reaction after taking on all these new responsibilities at the company to only get a menial raise and her next steps
• [34:45] Discussing the option of equity in a compensation package and when is it the right move to forgo additional salary for more equity in a company
• [37:35] Nichole’s exit strategy to move from her current company at that time to another opportunity
• [42:16] Discussing the common issue of why internal employees don’t get fair raises compared to their external hire counterparts that tend to come in making more in the same position
• [47:47] Her experience going back to work from her maternity leave, Nichole handing in her resignation and reaction from the company of her departure
• [52:21] What Nichole is doing now in her career
• [54:53] Nichole’s learning lessons she gained from the experience with that company and what signs does she look out for now so it doesn’t happen to her again
• [57:15] Signs that the company is giving you empty promises and how many chances should you give a company when it comes to having your needs met before it’s time to move on 
• [1:01:08] One big career lesson that Nichole learned that helped her grow to become the person she is today
• [1:03:17] Contacting Nichole
• [1:03:53] Outro

RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS

• Nichole Harrop Website
• Nichole Harrop on Instagram
• Chan With A Plan
• Max Chan On LinkedIn
• Chan With A Plan Facebook Group