Feeling pretty dumb about this “honor”. Boss made a big deal at the staff meeting about how I was “setting the example” by working an insane amount of (unpaid) billable hours each week, and how I embody the “values of family, hard work, and enthusiasm” at the company. All corporate rhetoric buzz words that mean nothing, so it was all I could do not to roll my eyes or smirk or laugh out loud at his empty words of praise. I was “employee of the quarter” because I'm an idiot. Literal hundreds of hours of free work over the past quarter and I didn't get a raise or a promotion, I got a $75 “bonus”. I had hoped I would get the raise I deserve by putting in these unnecessary extra hours, but I just feel like a clown now.
Learn from my needless zealousness and work the hours that you are actually paid for. With all this free time I am giving away, I am now the company's lowest paid worker by hour.