This happened in the before times, like almost a year before covid, but it's been a driving factor for my work ethic.
I've had my job for 5-ish years. It's not bad, I'm good at it. They score us out of 5 every year for our raises (merit-based) and I was rocking a 5 the first two years. Coming out of the new year of 2019, I'm in better standing than other people who started with me. (We started in groups of like 30).
Then they announce another pay raise, they did an evaluation on the cost of living and realized that our pay could be better. This sounds great because it is a struggle and rent is ridiculous. I'm over here thinking it would be a raise across the board because I make better than my coworkers but I am by no means okay. I have a little gap in my paycheck to paycheck lifestyle and I worked my ass for that.
Oh, but there is a catch, a limit/maximum to the pay and guess who makes just over the limit to get a raise! And insult to injury, one of my coworkers was more than happy to share with me his new pay (he's big equality and sharing info) and guess who makes more when all is said and done? Turns out I ended up making less than average. And because of the increase for the cost of living, the increase rolling into the 2020 new year was less in general.
Long story short, I work my ass off for two years for decent pay only to have my company doing a company-wide increase and be excluded and make less than average.
This is how I learned that there is no point in trying because I'll get the raise (and probably better) eventually anyways.
Between the lack of motivation and my limited self control they wonder why I don't give a shit.