Slavery is over! we don’t find that in modern times, but not Corporate Slavery.
Corporate slavery is such a thing that a person chose to become one rather than someone forcing he/she.
Although external forces are there, still he/she has the option to put a full stop to it.
That doesn’t me they like what they are going through in their work life.
Then why stuck there? It is solely for one reason.
These folks depended so much on their Job because of the money they get paid.
You nearly spend more than 30 percent of your time in a day at work. If your workplace is filled with toxic people & culture and you were not able to quit your job, feel trapped there because of your paycheck. Then sadly you have become a “Corporate Slave”.
There is always an escape route, but you need to find and get there.
This article may help and show some perspective, as a reader you got to put in the effort and work to put a period of your slavery at workplace.
What is corporate slavery?
When you see yourself in an area where you have been taken advantage like targets keep changing, superior calls you on your vacation time or weekends related to progress, Yelling at you in front of others (see you as a resource, not as a person).
Then you are in the wrong place.
Although the corporate world has its own cost and benefits and it varies from person to person basis.
One of the ways to create wealth is by working for a good corporate company. You won’t certainly become a billionaire by working in a day Job.
Certainly, achieving an upper middle class is plausible if you are disciplined when it comes to savings and investing.
If you don’t love your job, see your work just as work(doing for the sake of survival), feel underappreciated, less autonomy. Then you should consider changing things in your career.
Signs of a corporate slave
Constantly feeling stressed:
If you are stressed about work even after your work hours, it is not good mentally for you & your family too. It affects you as a person, you might vent your upset at work to your kids and partner.
You may feel no one is there to understand you at your home and workplace.
Lack of work-life balance:
A good measure is when was the last time you took your kids & family out for dinner or movie nights on weekdays spent peacefully. It may sound absurd.
It tells you whether your work gives you space for your personal life or not. Or else, are you a person attending meetings late night at in your bedroom wearing pajamas?
Feeling trapped:
You are asked to do something at your work that doesn’t align with your moral values, yet you are doing it and feel regret later.
Eg: could be a lie to your client, false accounting numbers, or betraying your colleagues’ who trust you.
It could be an order from your boss, your superior, etc. In other words, orders from people who are in a higher hierarchy than yours.
Lack of control over what you do:
You got no control over the workload you receive and feel being taken advantage of.
Your roles and responsibilities keep changing every month, or quarter and diminish your performance to the least.
But you can’t do anything about it because of your manager’s attitude.
Undervalued or underpaid:
You are paid less for your position & experience than the standard salary at the market.
When you ask for raise, you hear comments repeatedly year after year like ” we are having a bad year, our major client reduced his business with us” Yet you seem to be doing more work than last year.
A dull business means less work for you, not the other way around. isn’t?
Then, You are certainly underpaid.
No room for growth:
Your career path looks vague without any growth trajectory. The promotion you deserve is given to others (thanks to nepotism), targets given which are not in touch with realities.
You feel like doing whatever comes your way but it is out of your role. That’s not helpful to you.
Then you should reconsider your decision of whether to stick with the firm or not.
Escape route from corporate slave
Build Emergency Fund:
Many people suggest emergency funds be used in times of mass layoff, and health & hospitalization needs.
But if you dread going to work & and you feel stressed about it, you can quit & get some time off to look for a new job as you live on your emergency fund.
Want to know why an emergency fund is important? Click here
Cut down your Big 3
Almost 50 to 70 percent of your income would be consumed by just 3 expenses.
- Rent or Mortgage Payment
- Grocery
- Transportation
If you find creative ways to reduce your expenses in these areas, it would give a great upside to your savings rate.
More the savings rate, the shorter time to achieve financial freedom.
Upgrade your skills
Very few think about upgrading themselves after getting a Job.
If your skill sets are rare and hard to replicate, you are at a premium in the Job market. It won’t hard for them to get a job and not necessarily put up with slavery at work. It could be learning new tech, language, etc.
I got 200% percent raise compare to my peers since I speak Japanese. (But it took nearly 1.5 years to become decent at it)
Pick some rare skills which align to your career and master them.
Create more income stream
More income source is not an option, it’s a must.
It could be doing freelancing projects, side hustles, dividends, REIT, etc.
Many have earned more income in side hustles and freelance projects than in their day job.
Once you achieve that level, you can easily escape corporate slavery.
Final Thoughts
You can also cautious steps before accepting a Job in a company.
Few red flags like a company are known for mass layoffs, not paying their salary on time, stay away from such companies.
You can read employee reviews from portals like Glassdoor.
Maybe reaching out to a former employee on professional platforms like LinkedIn might help.
Finally, I believe it’s in One’s hands to be a corporate slave or change from that.
Thank You for reading:) Cheers!
