"Loyalty is not a one-way street. If I'm asking it from you, then you're getting it from me." — Harvey Specter (Suits)
"I believe, Loyalty should be earned, not given or taken. It should be based on respect and mutual benefits, not blind expectation" (Unknown)
Someone once shared a story that changed how I viewed workplace loyalty. "I never knew people could be blindly loyal to their employers, to the extent that it could mess with their minds and moods. Neither did I know that story would also be a replica of mine." She'd said
She didn't hate her job!
Sure, it drained her. The long hours, the last-minute demands, the emails that somehow came in right when she was about to leave, the constant toxicity she had to smile through every day. It was all exhausting. But she didn't hate it.
She was good at what she did. She showed up, went the extra mile, and made things work. People relied on her. She was the one who trained new hires on her team, the one they called when things fell apart and the one her boss trusted.
She thought that meant something. Until that night.
It was a quiet Friday, and she was staying late—again. She had a bunch of last-minute documents she needed to vet and knew she would have to take work home, yet again. Clearing out her desk drawer, she found it. A neat stack of 'Confirmation of Employment Contract'. It was for a new staff she had successfully trained again.
She smiled at first, running her fingers over the edges of the document, eyes brimming with pride knowing that her intern had passed the employment criteria. It wasn't until she gazed at the remuneration part of the document, Then it hit her.
Six years.
Six years of "you're so valuable to the team."
Six years of "we appreciate you."
Six years of "You're the only one good enough to train them"
Six years of "just hang in there, your time will come."
And yet… here she was. Training people who made more than her. Mentoring fresh graduates earning almost double her salary. She'd watched others leave and double their pay while she convinced herself that loyalty would eventually be rewarded.
Her stomach tightened.
She glanced at the certificates of achievement in her drawer, she'd always feel pride from looking at them, but this time, at this moment, they felt different. They felt like participation trophies in a game where everyone else was winning… Everyone but her.
That night, something snapped.
By Monday, she was sending out résumés. By the next week, interviews were stacking up, and by the end of the month, she had an offer—double her salary, better benefits, and an actual future.
Yet, when she saw the email, her hands shook.
Not from excitement. From anger.
Because she realized it had always been possible. She had always been worth more. She had just been waiting for permission to believe it.
She almost gave her boss a chance to match it… Almost.
But when she imagined that conversation, she knew how it would go, she had had it so many times before. The answer would still sound like a broken record…
"We'll see what we can do."
"Let's revisit this in six months."
"Think of all the opportunities we've given you."
That was the moment it truly hit her.
If it took them six years and a resignation letter for them to recognize her worth, then, she was never truly valued.
So, she took the new job.
On her last day, she packed her things without hesitation.
The certificates stayed in the drawer.
She walked out with something far more valuable: The lesson, that some bridges aren't meant to be burned—They're meant to be left behind. The lesson, that her experiences could only become talent and skills because they were hers. That they could never be taken away.
Loyalty is a beautiful thing—when it's mutual.
And if it isn't? Then the only person you owe it to, Is Yourself.
Have you ever reached your breaking point in a situation where your loyalty wasn't reciprocated? Whether in your career, relationships, or personal journey - what was your 'drawer of certificates' moment? Share your story in the comments below. Sometimes, reading about someone else's courage to move forward might be exactly what another person needs to hear today. Let's build a community of people who learned to value themselves first.