I work in tech support. My department was essentially being outsourced but our manager didn’t have the balls to tell us. Instead they had us doing lower level work to “help the queues” but it was basically preparation to demote us.
One thing I’ll say about my company is that they never lay off anyone, they will always find a position within the company to move someone to if a department goes away. It was October and I didn’t want to be out looking for a job right before the holidays. So while everyone in my department essentially rebelled against this move, I put my head down, did the best I could and just remained thankful for having a job.
I didn’t realize that my attitude was getting noticed by the higher ups. One of my managers was a total prick but the one right below him seemed to have some semblance of a soul left.
She walked up to my desk one day and asked me to put my current call on hold. I truly thought I was being walked out (we didn’t yet realize they weren’t going to lay people off) but my manager set 2 concert tickets for my all time favorite singer down on my desk.
She had gone to my previous supervisors and actually took time to find out what would be really meaningful to me because she said I was the only person in the department coming in and giving 100% despite crazy changes and upheavals. I started crying. It was the first time I felt like just showing up, doing my job & putting in a bit of effort mattered.
Just a couple months after that, I was actually promoted and I’m still with the company today and doing what I really love within. I’ll never forget that day, I’ll never forget what it felt like to truly be recognized for my work ethic. I am a hard worker and I don’t have it in me to be like “f**k the man” because hard work has gotten me up the ladder & procured a decent life for me. It was so nice to see a return on that state of mind.