When Does Loyalty Become Stupidity?

When does loyalty become stupidity with regard to employment? Loyalty to a company or job used to come with a payoff. You came to work early and left late or you worked a few of hours of overtime off the clock and when there was an upcoming promotion or opportunity for advancement you had confidence that you would be considered because of your loyalty. You've gone above and beyond for the company in the hope that your loyalty would be rewarded. But what happens when your loyalty is taken for granted? The promotion you wanted, and often spent time off the clock doing, is given to someone who is inexperienced and undeserving. Do you remain loyal to the job in the hopes that your turn will come? This is exactly the decision that faces CRCU employees on a daily basis. They are staring down the barrel of a dead end job with no real prospect for pay raises or advancement. Some work tirelessly hoping that their time will come or their opportunity will be presented to them if they work hard. The harsh reality is that it won't. As we have discussed before, the CRCU's shady hiring and promotion practices aren't built for the average hard worker to get ahead. That being said, If I know that I cannot advance my career as an employee of the CRCU then why should be loyal to a fault and go above and beyond for someone who doesn't value me enough to promote me? Wouldn't that make me stupid? Yet that is exactly what the CRCU management is unfairly asking employees to do. They dangle promotions in front of hard working employees and then offer excuses (lies) when when they aren't promoted. One employee was told by CRCU management that the reason he wasn't chosen was because they were specifically looking for a supervisor with a four year degree. In their defense the CRCU management did choose a supervisor with a four year degree...in Drama. This is the equivalent of asking for a rocket scientist and then hiring a guy who makes bottle rockets. Only a complete moron would make this kind of decision.  I can only surmise the reasoning behind this choice by CRCU management was so this supervisor could act like he knows how to supervise a team. Yet I digress, because of the top heavy management schematic the CRCU employs, promotion is nearly impossible unless something big happens. For example, the CRCU director doesn't appear to be leaving the department anytime soon. The managers and supervisors appear to be deeply ingrained in their positions as well.  So if I'm Joe Employee coming to work everyday with no promotion opportunities anytime soon, what does my future look like and where is my motivation not to do the bare minimum to get by? Some could argue that your paycheck is your motivation to which I would argue...no it isn't. A paycheck is a recompense for doing the job in which you were hired for. At no time does it state in any job description (nor it it implied) that we are paying you to go above and beyond and do your very best. The point being made is a simple yet powerful statement as to how the CRCU and DCS as a whole values it's employees. They don't. If they did then they would not ask you (as an employee) for the very best that you can do and offer you absolutely nothing in return. Even jack got magic beans for his cow in Jack and the Bean Stalk! So, when does loyalty become stupidity? I supposed it's when you work your fingers to the bone day in and day out fully knowing that any promotional opportunity that becomes available is going to undoubtedly go to someone's family member but you do it anyway. It's when you go above and beyond for a job knowing that there is no raise coming...ever. Maybe its even when you tow the company line by justifying bad management decisions by making excuses for them to other employees. Using lines like "I can see why they did that" when you really can't or saying "its better this way" when it really isn't. Loyalty becomes stupidity when you allow people like the management of the CRCU to undervalue, underestimate, and marginalize you and your talents with no reward. So ask yourself are you being loyal or are you being stupid?