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As employees in the workforce who depend on their jobs to survive, there is always the possibility of being exploited by your employer. It isn't always easy to tell if you're being exploited at work, and it isn't always clear as to what exploitation means. Hopefully by the time you read this article you will be confident as to what exploitation means and know if you are being exploited by your employer.

Most people who have jobs and work on a day to day basis need their jobs to earn a living, buy food, to pay rent or their mortgage, help support a family, and to live a satisfied life. Unfortunately, it is this basic need for survival that can open up an employee to exploitation. When a person becomes afraid of losing their job because they don't think they will be able to survive without it, they become more apt to tolerate working in an environment they don't like or even hate. They become more apt to being used and treated badly by their employers because they don't want to risk quitting or being fired if they confront their employer about the problems they are having.

It is this fear of losing a job/career, that allows employers to take advantage of their employers by exploiting them. When an employer selfishly uses an employee for the company's own ends, that employee has been exploited. Sometimes it is difficult to tell if you are being exploited at work, but typically you will have a feeling of being used, taken advantage of, not being treated fairly, and feeling unappreciated.

There are many ways that a company can exploit an employee, and here is a list of the major ways in which an employer will do this:

1. Not being paid for the true value of your work

This is major way that employers take advantage of their employees. They will pay you less than you think you deserve to make. Every dollar a company saves by not paying you what you deserve, the company keeps as a profit. It's sad and unfair, and a horrible feeling to know that you aren't being properly compensated. If you feel as if you aren't earning the money you think you deserve at your job, I recommend visiting Salary.com. This web site will help you find out the true value of your work by comparing the work you do with other people who work similar jobs in your area. It's a very good way to find out if people doing the same work as you are making more money.

2. Not being credited for your work

Often when an employee is being exploited by his/her employer, they will not receive credit for their work or the boss will even take credit for the work of the employee. These types of credit can be anything from not receiving praise or a simple thanks for work being done, as well as not receiving bonuses and raises when they are deserved.

3. Being Overworked

Another typical way an employer will take advantage of an employee is by overworking them. Overworking an employee can include making them work very long shifts with few breaks, making them work many days with out days off, or not providing an adequate work environment that allows the employee to get his/her work done easily. Often the employee is very tired, lethargic, suffering from muscle pain, and depressed.

4. Unfair Treatment

Being treated unfairly at work really has a lot to do with the last three indicators of exploitation. When an employee is treated unfairly by an employer, it can also include preferential treatment of certain employees over others, racism, sexism, and any other bias that make the employee feel as they are not being treated fairly in the workplace.

These are good ways to tell if you are being exploited by your employer. Just know that no job is worth being exploited over and treated less than what you are worth.

Learn more about this author, Alex Landis.
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