20 rules the company won’t tell you

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This post was last edited by lalalazhou on 2010-6-24 at 17:10. Entering the workplace is like diving into deep waters. Mastering these rules in the workplace will make your journey there much smoother. 1. The salary at the time of starting work isn’t important; as long as you work hard, you will receive appropriate compensation. I guess almost everyone who has looked for a job has heard this phrase. When we are sure we’ve been hired and start negotiating our salary with the company, they always say, “If you perform well and work hard in the future, your compensation will increase accordingly.” Especially when looking for a job for the first time, most people believe these words, but don’t believe them at all. When you first start working, your salary is everything you have (of course, this is not the case for some positions such as sales roles or those with variable salaries; moreover, most of your benefits will fluctuate based on your salary, with salary adjustments being calculated by multiplying your current salary by a certain percentage. Insurance and housing funds are also related to your salary). When your basic salary is low, there is little room for an increase in your future earnings. So, when looking for a job, never be lenient – insist on getting a higher basic salary, because that is all you will have. I made this mistake when I was looking for a job for the first time; I was too lenient and didn’t ask for a higher salary. At that time, I thought it didn’t matter if my basic salary was a few hundred yuan lower than others’, but later I realized that this had a cumulative effect – even though your salary might increase more each year compared to others, your total earnings would still be lower. For example, if your basic salary at the start of employment is 4000, and it increases by 20% in the second year (only a few people in ordinary companies get such an increase), then your salary in the second year will be 4800 ； If your colleague’s basic salary is 4,500 at the start of employment, with a 10% increase in the second year (the usual rate of increase), then his salary in the second year will be 4,950. Can you see the difference? Remember, your salary at the start of employment is everything you have; you must not be soft-hearted. 2. The HR department is not the person to talk to. I’ve seen many employees in the company go to talk to the HR manager, and HR staff may also regularly speak with employees to ask if they have encountered any problems at work Is there anything the HR department needs to handle for the employees? But please keep in mind that the company’s HR department is not someone you can turn to for advice; its primary task is not to help employees, but rather to protect the company’s interests from being harmed by them – that is what matters most. Many people may think that the HR department is their friend, and sometimes they even share their true feelings toward the company or their boss with the HR department. If you keep doing this, I can assure you that you will suffer serious consequences, and no one will tell you why. No matter how friendly the personnel department staff may seem, you need to understand that whatever you discuss with them will inevitably be shared with the decision-making parties, such as your boss, manager, supervisor, and CEO. The responsibility of the HR department is to inform the company’s decision-making bodies about your so-called “secrets” (sometimes legally required to do so). For example, if you don’t like your current job duties or have a poor relationship with your boss, you must not complain to the HR department; instead, you should talk directly to your boss. Perhaps during that conversation, the employee from the HR department might show sympathy and say that they would bring this matter to their supervisor’s attention. But in most cases, the HR department passes on your conversation verbatim to your boss, and your boss will definitely not forgive you for that. By not turning to your boss first to resolve the issue but going straight to HR, you put yourself in a vulnerable position; you might even be forced to leave the company. 3. Your abilities do not guarantee your safety. Many companies claim in their recruitment efforts or promotional materials that they value employees’ capabilities and encourage them to use their initiative (indeed, there are some companies that truly promote innovation, but they are a minority; most simply use such slogans as mere rhetoric). New employees often feel the need to show their talents and abilities to their colleagues or supervisors. However, keep in mind that the company or your supervisors prefer to see your loyalty first, rather than an attempt to showcase your skills. No matter what your goal is, that doesn’t matter. If you keep showing off your abilities, it’s likely that your boss will think you’re trying to show off your intelligence and that you’re not a trustworthy person; or he may feel threatened. If he believes you’re a threat to his position, then he won’t care how smart you are – he would prefer someone who is stupid but loyal to him. So, when you first start working or are transferred to a new department, you must not be overly confident right away. The first thing you need to do is get to know the environment as well as the personalities of your supervisors and colleagues. Even if you are an expert, you should adopt a humble attitude at first; of course, it’s necessary to show your abilities at key moments so that others realize you have great skills hidden within you. There is a saying in Korea that goes, “To have a happy marriage, one must act deaf for 3 years, mute for 3 years, and blind for 3 years.” In the past, Korean mothers-in-law would mistreat their daughters-in-law, so one had to pretend to be deaf and mute in order to get through those times (of course, this is not the case anymore). I mention this because those who are new here should learn to pretend to be deaf and mute; at first, one should listen and learn as much as possible, and pretend to be deaf when hearing idle talk. 4. Reimbursement form * The company uses this as a tool to test you; you might be puzzled upon seeing this question? Can reimbursement forms also be used to test employees? Yes, even the reimbursement forms that we usually take for granted can be a tool used by the company or managers to test you. Most companies have end-of-month reimbursements (for meals, transportation, phone bills, etc.) or business trip reimbursements, right? When you asked your supervisor to sign your reimbursement form, did he say anything? Or did he make any facial expressions? Please note that in most cases, managers will look at the amount you claim for reimbursement, and if they wish, the finance department can provide detailed information on each person’s reimbursements at any time. I’ve seen people in companies who try to take advantage of small things – they include expenses for personal use in their meal and transportation costs, rather than using those funds for company business. Perhaps such amounts amount to only 100 yuan, but it is precisely these small sums that can ruin one’s career prospects. A boss I know once told me something like this: “So-and-so submitted a claim for business meal expenses on a certain day, but it was actually me who paid for those meals.” ”Perhaps this employee was too careless. But among the bosses I know, there are some who even check the time indicated on the tickets you submit, and they keep track of each employee’s monthly expenses. Perhaps they won’t say anything when you submit a reimbursement request, but what you lose in such cases is not just money. 5. It’s dangerous to share personal matters at the workplace. These days, most of us spend a lot of time with our colleagues; sometimes we spend more time with them than with our own families. This situation can make it difficult for us to distinguish between work-related matters and personal ones. Sometimes we feel as though our relationships with colleagues are like those of family members, and we end up sharing our personal issues with them—things like child-rearing problems, health issues, or financial difficulties. But remember, the workplace is still the workplace, and doing so is risky. One of my colleagues often talks at work about how his son is going through puberty and describes him as being very rebellious. Due to his son’s rebellion, the atmosphere at home is tense every day he gets home. Perhaps he tries to share these concerns in order to reduce the stress at home. But recently, the company started a major project, and he thought he was the best candidate for it. However, to his surprise, the company’s management chose someone else. Why? Because the company’s leadership believes that “he already has enough problems at home; he probably doesn’t have the capacity to work on such an important project,” or, to put it more calmly, “if you can’t even handle your own family matters, how can you be in charge of such an important project?” ”If you are not in good health, there is no need to tell your colleagues or supervisor about your condition, as from their perspective, poor health means you may not be able to give 100% of your effort or it could affect your work performance. This would worry your supervisor, who might start thinking of solutions or even hire additional staff. As a result, even if you recover, you could end up facing the awkward situation of losing your position. 6. If you go against your boss, you will surely be driven out of the company. There is someone in the company who has a great influence on you; without his support, you won’t gain recognition within the company, it will be difficult to get promoted, and you might even lose your job. That person is your direct supervisor. Perhaps your boss isn’t as smart or capable as you are, and you might not respect him, but remember that he acts like a gatekeeper – if you try to get around him, you will end up losing the opportunity that was meant for you. You might think that if you’re competent enough, the company’s management will let you bypass your supervisor and get promoted or given another opportunity, but stop daydreaming – companies usually consider the stability of the organization from their supervisor’s perspective, and in 99% of cases, it’s you who ends up getting hurt by dealing against your supervisor. Perhaps your boss isn’t as capable as you are, but the fact that he was able to reach that position means he must possess certain other skills, such as leadership, organizational abilities, or loyalty to the company. When a conflict arises between you and your boss, the company will side with your boss – please keep this in mind. One of my colleagues is very capable. When he was transferred to a new department, he found that his supervisor lacked the ability to make decisions. As a result, in many cases he bypassed his supervisor and communicated directly with the general manager. The general manager also recognized his competence, which made him feel proud and convinced that his supervisor couldn’t do anything to him. However, once his supervisor said that he was working too hard and suggested that he take a vacation in the Maldives at the company’s expense. When he returned from the Maldives, he discovered that, in his absence, the company had issued a transfer order assigning him to an unimportant department. So, no matter what kind of boss you encounter, if you still want to stay in this department and in this company, you need to work with your boss; that way he will help you open the door to opportunities. 7. Did you press the send button? STOP! Company emails are dangerous. If I told you that all the emails you send and receive using your company email are visible to your boss, would you think the world is ending? If not, then it means you are completely honest. In fact, many people don’t realize that their company or supervisors can view their emails. Moreover, companies will never issue a warning to employees about being careful with the emails they exchange with each other. If you use your company email to send personal messages to friends, or if you use email to discuss your supervisor’s or the company’s policies with colleagues, you need to be very careful: company emails are dangerous. (1) When using the company email to send and receive messages, you must keep in mind that someone in the company might be reading those emails, as some companies do indeed check the content of emails on a regular basis (of course without informing the employees). I’m not sure if my previous employer did the same, but I’ve heard that some internationally renowned companies regularly inspect their employees’ emails. (2) Emails remain on the company’s servers forever: You may not be aware of this, but even if you send an email and later regret it and delete it, it might no longer be in your inbox; however, the company’s servers always keep a record of that email. (3) Think carefully before pressing the send button: You might send suggestions to the HR department or your supervisor via email, or offer comments on company policies. Be aware that such emails can serve as evidence in important situations, and in many cases they are detrimental to you. At work, I often receive bulk sent funny emails. If you have sent such emails to your colleagues in the past, I suggest that you stop doing so in the future. You send these things often, which makes people think you have nothing to do all day, that’s why you send such emails. Perhaps the person who received these emails forwarded them to some managers; maybe he or she did it to amuse and make the managers happy, but the managers won’t think that way – in their eyes, you’ll appear to be someone who does nothing all day long. 8. If I work hard, will the company give me a raise? No, you must ask! When it comes to salaries, it is impossible for companies and employees to achieve a win-win situation; many people are not satisfied with their current wages. So what should we do? Waiting for the company to give you a raise? Many people think that if I do my job well and achieve good results, the company will definitely give me a raise. Yes, the company will give you a raise, but the amount of the increase probably won’t meet your expectations. I’ve seen many cases in the company: many people imagine that the company will give them a raise at some point, or they are afraid of what their boss might think if they ask for one, so they refrain from doing so. But if you don’t dare to ask for a raise, the salary you’ll get is likely to be the average or slightly above average – not what you had hoped for. Of course, if you want to ask for a raise, first you need to understand your own “value,” and you must do so from the company’s perspective. If the company believes you don’t have the “value” to warrant a raise and you still make such a request, there’s a high chance you’ll be fired. (1) Prove your “value”: If you do nothing all day at the company, it certainly won’t give you a raise. Before making such a request, you must prove your “value” and show that you are an indispensable member of the team. (2) Make demands: As mentioned earlier, companies are always looking for ways to cut costs. Unless you ask the company that it’s a good thing to do, it will never voluntarily increase your salary significantly. Don’t expect a miracle to happen one day; if you think you are valuable, then ask for what you want. If your boss recognizes your worth, he will listen to you. Under no circumstances should you let your boss become your enemy. At the end of the conversation, be sure to emphasize that you still respect his decision, because sometimes, due to objective reasons, a boss may not have any choice. (3) Do not threaten your boss: If you want to stay at the company, never threaten your boss when asking for a raise. For example, don’t threaten to leave the company if you don’t get a raise, or lie to your boss by saying you’ve already received an offer from another company. Your attitude should be something like, “I really like this company and its current business, but I feel that my current salary doesn’t reflect the value of my work; I hope my salary can reflect that.” Threatening your boss is likely to result in you having to leave the company. (4) Don’t complain: Even if the outcome isn’t good, such as no salary increase or only a small one, by taking proactive action you can become aware of your own weaknesses or your boss’s views on you, and you can also make your boss understand that you’re not satisfied with the status quo. If you don’t plan to leave this company, you need to start addressing your weaknesses or improving your performance right now, so that you can use stronger evidence next time. You might not succeed this time, but you’ll be close to success the next time. I know it’s difficult to ask your boss for a raise, because you’re afraid, \"What if I ask for a raise and my boss fires me or treats me badly from then on?\" ”But in most cases, the worst things you imagine don’t happen; most of them have happy endings. And even if there are some side effects, the company or the boss is very forgetful; since if the owner of that company isn’t your supervisor, the money doesn’t come out of his pocket, so he’ll forget about it after a month or two. I can tell you this with certainty, because I’ve tried it. 9. A raise is a must, what about promotion? NO, you must keep a tight grip on your mouth. If a raise must be demanded, what about promotion? This must under no circumstances be requested; once you apply for or ask for a promotion opportunity, you will lose it. A promotion is not something that can be demanded, but rather something given to you by your supervisor after careful consideration. Ask for it before your boss is sure whether you can become a manager; it’s like trying to get inside by jumping over the wall instead of entering through the main door. Because if your boss is not yet convinced that you have what it takes to be a leader, and you bring it up first, he will think you are not mature enough or that you prioritize your own interests over those of the company. When deciding on who to promote, leaders take into account many other qualities besides performance and work ability, such as leadership skills, organizational abilities, and loyalty to the company. Moreover, as managers, one should remain calm and humble when necessary; bringing up such things in advance can damage one’s reputation. Should we just wait? Of course not. You can take the initiative to handle some important projects, offer to assist with challenging tasks faced by other departments, etc. Be sure to seize the opportunity to show your supervisor your abilities and your enthusiasm. 10. If you encounter a new boss, you should cooperate actively with him. Changes in the staff are common in companies, and generally, employees who have a new boss feel as though their space has been invaded, especially if you had a very good relationship with your previous boss. But if you want to stay in the company, you need to work closely with your new boss as soon as possible and get familiar with his working style. Often, after a new manager takes office, the employees expect them to adapt to the department’s existing ways of working. However, this does not happen; most new managers decide to change the current methods of work. In such situations, one should never lead the resistance or raise objections. As the saying goes, a new manager tends to make changes right away, and what one should do is to cooperate actively with them. If other employees are dissatisfied, one should act as a mediator, so that the new manager feels that you are on their side. This first impression is extremely important. At the same time, when the new boss first arrives, you might think that they don’t understand the situation in the department, so you offer them some advice or suggestions. Even if it’s done with good intentions for the new boss, it’s better not to give any advice or suggestions – it’s a taboo. If he asks you directly, you can say so, but in such situations it’s best to stick to the facts and avoid mentioning your personal opinions or negative information; you should let your supervisor make a decision based on those facts. Moreover, when a new boss asks for your opinions or suggestions, it is to test your loyalty and to find out your true feelings toward the company or colleagues; it is very likely a trick. One thing to keep in mind here is that when your new boss arrives and is trying to get familiar with the work, it’s a great opportunity for you to show what you’re capable of. Remember, speak less and quietly assist your new boss in his work; he will take all of this into account. 11. Want to become the most valuable employee in the company? Then you must stop saying “I can’t do it” and step forward to take on the task. Does everyone want to become the company’s MVP? Then you must stop saying \"I can’t do it\" and step forward to take on the task. Every time your supervisor assigns you a task, do you say \"I’ve never done this before; I can’t do it\" or \"I don’t have time for this right now\"? Even if you think this task is a bit difficult for you and you believe you might not be able to complete it, many people tend to say reflexively, \"I can’t do this,\" but you must never say such things. Actually, when a leader assigns you this task, he is definitely testing your abilities; moreover, even if you don’t do it well, he still has a backup plan (usually leaders don’t assign you tasks that are very important and for which there is no alternative if things go wrong). In such situations, even if you don’t do it perfectly, you’re likely to lose nothing; your attitude should be, \"This is a bit difficult for me, but I’ll give it a try.\" Then you have to work overtime all night or use every ounce of your strength to solve the problem. If you find that you’re not able to complete it with your current skills, you must submit it to your supervisor before the deadline (don’t submit an unfinished version on the last day; supervisors hate such people) so that they have more time to make corrections. If you habitually say “I can’t do it,” after some time he will think that “you’ll always say you can’t do it when given a task,” so he will simply stop assigning you tasks. If there is a project or task in your department that no one wants to take on, and if you volunteer to handle this \"hot potato,\" your supervisors will regard you with respect and give you positive feedback. Of course, it’s not necessary to have many such hot potatoes; just one is enough. 12. Want to stand out? One of the secrets to success in the workplace is to ensure that your leaders are 150% satisfied – don’t just do what they tell you to do. If you simply follow what your boss says 100%, you will never stand out. When a manager at your company assigns you tasks, you need to be extra careful. In addition to the tasks assigned to you, you can offer your suggestions or ideas for improvement. Moreover, the quality of your work should not be 100% – it should be 150%. “To be a woman, one should be like Hillary. One of the very important strategies used by Hillary was to ensure that those who hire her or those who receive the services she provides feel 200% satisfied. From this perspective, Hillary’s goals are even higher. Many people think that as long as you complete the tasks assigned by your supervisor and satisfy them 100%, and do your own duties properly, that’s enough; but if you approach things this way, you will never succeed in the workplace. 13. Does your *company allow it?** In the workplace, there’s no such thing as \"maybe\". On your first day at work, the HR staff might seem very open to you and the company, and often during meetings the general manager will say, \"Feel free to share your opinions; I’ll do my best to meet your requests and address the issues you raise.\" But never fall for this trap. Most of the time, companies do not have such things; especially when you express your honest opinions about the company’s policies, environment, or systems, and you oppose those policies and systems in public, the company will see you as a reactionary who undermines the company atmosphere. They consider you a threat, so they try to find ways to get you to leave. I don’t know if some truly open companies have such a practice, but in the version I’ve seen, whenever the general manager meets with employees, he allows them to speak freely; yet as soon as they express their true thoughts, he immediately loses trust in them. Another thing: I often see people talking about matters related to the company with their colleagues or friends in the elevator. This is a highly unprofessional behavior. Whether it’s the elevator in your own office or one at a client’s company, the people who are riding in the elevator with you could be friends of your boss or important clients. It’s fine to speak positively about the company, but never express any criticism or dissatisfaction in the elevator – otherwise, you might not even know why you died so suddenly. 14. Is your desk professional? These days, most desks in foreign companies are divided into small compartments. You might think that your desk is a private space where you can put whatever you want, but keep in mind that it is also a place that reflects your professionalism; therefore, your desk should also be kept in an organized and professional manner. So what kind of desk is considered professional? (1) It shouldn’t be too messy; I’ve seen in the company that many people’s desks are in a chaotic state, with all kinds of documents scattered around. If it’s too messy, it can easily give the impression that the person doesn’t organize their work properly. (2) It shouldn’t be too tidy; if your desk is completely empty and neat, others will think you have nothing to do. (3) There should not be too many decorations. People born in the 1980s nowadays pursue individuality; their desks are filled with all kinds of things. One of my colleagues used to have a desk that resembled a gift shop, with all sorts of dolls and small items. She probably thought this was very creative, but others talked about her behind her back. (4) Books that are unrelated to your work or do not match your preferences should never be placed in areas where they can be seen. In general, I think you can leave your documents or materials on the desk during the day, but you must organize them when you get off work; the important documents should be kept in drawers (preferably locked), which shows that you are professional in your work. Moreover, in real life, some bosses* are used to taking a look at their subordinates’ desks after work; firstly, to check whether there are any important company documents left unattended on the desk, and secondly, to gauge the subordinates’ recent activities by looking at what’s on their desks (if there’s a book like “8 Ways to Find a Good Job” on your desk, it probably means you’re thinking about changing jobs) )15. Is the performance evaluation result not in line with your actual performance? Performance also needs to be promoted; most companies conduct 1 to 2 (or 4) performance evaluations per year, and the results of these evaluations affect things such as bonuses and promotions. However, many employees find that the results of these evaluations are quite different from what they had expected. Why is that? Because in performance evaluations, your subjective judgments don’t matter at all; what matters is how your supervisor assesses your performance. If your job involves using data to support your arguments, such as in sales, it might be a bit easier, but many of us work in fields where there is no concrete data available to back up our work; in such cases, we still need to promote our own performance. I’ve seen many people who usually don’t communicate much with their supervisors, but when the end of the year comes and they are dissatisfied with their performance ratings, they go to their supervisors to express those grievances. This approach doesn’t change anything; what you need to do is (1) maintain regular communication with your supervisor: It’s important to have regular conversations with your direct supervisor, as this allows you to let them know what you’re working on, while also giving you an idea of what they expect from you. Acting according to your own standards will not work in a company; if you want to receive good performance evaluations, you must meet your supervisor’s expectations and standards. (2) Promoting one’s own achievements: People will surely ask, how exactly is this promoted? Aren’t the bosses watching? But often, there are things you do that your supervisor is not aware of. No matter how hard you work, it’s useless if your supervisor isn’t informed. Therefore, when necessary, you must keep your supervisor updated on the progress of your work by CC’ing them on relevant updates. I usually prepare a list of the tasks I’m working on at regular intervals, detailing the progress, and send it to my supervisor; this way, they can use these written records as a reference when conducting performance evaluations. (3) Even if your supervisor gives you a poor evaluation, you must not show your dissatisfaction. After all, there must be a reason why the supervisor does this, and he has the authority to give you a poor evaluation. What you need to do is get your boss to express his opinions, and then make adjustments based on those opinions. You have an obligation to adapt to your boss’s way of working and his style of handling things, after all, he is your boss 16. Are you the \"good guy\" in the company? If you constantly try to please others, you will lose their respect. Every company has good people who smile at everyone and never say \"NO\" to anyone’s requests. If you are a new employee in the company, you may need to gain the trust of your colleagues at first and try to please them; of course, this is necessary. But please do not confuse \"humility and a proper attitude\" with being a \"good person who lacks their own opinions.\" If you constantly try to please others without any own opinions, you will lose their respect; at work, people will see you as someone without real knowledge. I know it sounds easy in theory but is difficult in practice; sometimes it’s necessary to please others. But when it comes to important matters or critical business decisions, if you believe your own ideas are correct, you should stick to them and not just agree with others’ opinions – you need to have your own stance. I heard from a friend before that there was someone in his company who agreed to help with whatever task anyone asked him to handle. As a result, all the miscellaneous tasks in the company ended up falling on his shoulders; he was busy dealing with these trivial matters all day long, while others made fun of him behind his back. When I heard it back then, I thought, why are his colleagues like that? But then I thought that these things were probably his own fault. Regarding unsuitable jobs or requests, or proper opinions on work – if you think they are correct, you should voice them; one shouldn’t just play the role of a \"good person.\" As for how to strike a balance between these two approaches, it depends on the individual’s circumstances and personality. 17. Don’t hide your mistakes. It’s inevitable to make some mistakes at work, and everyone has the tendency to want to hide them from others. But one thing to keep in mind: if the mistake you make affects your department or your supervisor, you must not hide it. Often, hiding one’s mistakes leads to even bigger problems – as the saying goes, the more you try to conceal it, the worse it becomes. Even if it’s a simple mistake, you should inform your department head or the relevant personnel. I made this mistake when I first started working. At the beginning of working on proposals, there were many revisions needed, as there were numerous back-and-forth versions between my supervisor and me. Eventually, after sending the final version to my supervisor, I realized that some numbers were incorrect. Since it was my first time handling proposals, and I didn’t want others to know about my mistakes, I secretly corrected those numbers, as I planned to print out the documents and give them to my supervisor and the boss the next day. The next day, when I handed the printed materials to my boss, he took a quick look at them and, seeing those numbers, he flew into a rage. He got angry not because I made a mistake, as everyone makes mistakes from time to time; the problem was that I tried to hide that mistake secretly, without considering my supervisor’s perspective. If he hadn’t noticed this at that time and only discovered it when reporting to the boss, and the boss happened to also be aware of these figures (since the information had been sent to the boss in advance), what consequences would there be for him if he couldn’t justify his own statements? This incident has been very enlightening to me. I’m not saying that all mistakes need to be made public; if it doesn’t affect anyone else and you can resolve it on your own, then there’s no need to make it public. But if this mistake could affect your supervisor or the organization, you must inform them in advance and find a way to resolve it. Everyone makes mistakes, and if you handle the mistakes you make in a responsible manner, it won’t bring you embarrassment; instead, it will earn you points, as leaders see you as honest and responsible. But please note that once things have passed, you must not make the same mistake again. 18. Have you taken sick leave or maternity leave? You need to be aware that sick leave and maternity leave are excellent welfare benefits. Recently, it has been observed that there are many pregnant people in the company. Most people consider statutory \"sick leave or maternity leave\" to be rights strictly protected by law, but you must be careful, as this could put you in a difficult situation. Of course, when you are on a long-term sick leave (as mandated by law) or on maternity leave or breastfeeding leave, the company cannot fire you. However, if you fail to manage things properly during this period, you will end up on a \"blacklist\" once it is over. Since the number of employees in the company is basically fixed, once you take a few months off, your tasks will be assigned to someone else or the company will have to hire additional staff. By the time you return after those months, it’s likely that there will no longer be a position for you or that the tasks you used to do will no longer be available. So how can we prevent this from happening? (1) During the holiday period, keep in touch with the company regularly, especially with your supervisor: I know this might be difficult for someone who has just given birth and is on maternity leave, as there are so many things to worry about, but I still hope you can set aside time from time to time to communicate with your supervisor or colleagues about work matters. If there are any important projects, you can also offer some suggestions, but all of this must be done with your supervisor’s approval. (2) It is essential to keep up with the times and not lose the \"business sense\". When learning a foreign language, a sense for the language is very important. But once you stop practicing for a long time, you lose that sense, and as a result your overall proficiency in the language declines. The same is true at work; you need to maintain that \"business sense\" regarding your work. If possible, look at relevant materials at home as well (of course, as long as your health permits), because once you start working, the company or your supervisor will spend some time \"observing\" you to see whether your work ability and efficiency are still the same as before. A colleague of my friend just had a baby and was in very poor shape when she returned to work; this is understandable, as the baby keeps waking up at night, which affects her mental state and surely impacts her ability to work during the day. But the manager couldn’t accept her inability to concentrate on her work; one month after she returned from maternity leave, the manager gradually stopped giving her tasks and started assigning her current responsibilities to others. Eventually, that colleague, unable to stand doing nothing, resigned, which was probably what the manager wanted. If she hadn’t resigned on her own, it’s likely the company would have found various reasons to fire her after the breastfeeding period ended. 19. Labor law cannot protect you. Many people might think that with the improvement of laws, especially through revisions to the Labor Contract Law, labor law protects us, but don’t have any illusions about it – it cannot protect us. As the saying goes, \"where there’s a policy, there’s a workaround,\" and the company’s HR department or external HR agencies will skillfully circumvent the law to protect the company’s interests. For example, Article 39 of the new Labor Contract Law stipulates that an employer may terminate a labor contract if the employee falls under one of certain circumstances, such as \"serious violation of the employer’s rules and regulations.\" Employers have a variety of such rules and regulations. When our company formulated its \"Employee Handbook,\" we found that alone, the section on work discipline contained over 100 rules – covering almost everything you can think of, as well as things you might not have considered. If the company really decides to dismiss you, it’s quite simple: among all these rules, there is surely one that applies to you. Moreover, if a company wants to get rid of you, it will take certain measures to make you resign voluntarily. For example, your supervisor might assign you tasks that you are unable to complete, or they might treat you in a cold manner, making it unbearable for you. Your desk might be placed in a very inconvenient location, you might be given a short deadline to complete a task that is simply impossible, or you might receive low evaluations. If you notice such signs, you should carefully consider your career plans and take action accordingly. 20. Winning is what really matters. After saying so much, it might induce a sense of fear in those who are about to enter the workforce or have just started working, making them think that companies are always like this. Perhaps this doesn’t apply to all companies, as I have also encountered good companies and good bosses. But better to be prepared for the worst; I hope everyone will prepare in advance with weapons that can protect them and help them avoid these traps. If you have talent, you must bring it to full expression and let others know, so that they can open a door of opportunity for you. Our lives are like a game of gambling, and the workplace is even more so; you can choose the cards you play, thereby determining whether you win or lose. It’s not wise to wait hopelessly in the workplace for something to fall from the sky; you should take proactive action, learn to \"take risks,\" and know how to turn the situation around, because winning is what truly matters!