RE: Being loyal or being taken advantage of?

I think the main problem these days is that a lot of sectors are increasingly dominated by big corporations. Faceless brands with their often ridiculous policies and 'one size fits all' wage structuring. It's very difficult to be loyal to a company like that in my experience. On the other hand, I have had friends work for small privately owned businesses that were extremely loyal and actually felt good about it. One friend in particular told me that he stayed with a small business for 8 years longer than he intended to. Largely due to having a decent relationship with his boss and the recognition he got in the form of a Christmas bonus he'd receive each year.