Companies that delay pay rises, bonuses, compensation for unpaid overtime or compensation for extra work/responsibility with the promise of “later” will never find the right time to acknowledge your work; there will always be a reason why they can’t make time or find money.
I worked for a company thinking that if I pushed myself just a bit harder, if I worked more off the clock or if I took a bigger pay cut to help the company during covid then when the company was able to pay me back the owed money and acknowledge my hard work, they would.
Spoiler alert: they never did.
I was told that all my overtime and hard work was “standard” and “expected” of me despite the fact that I had bent over backwards for the company to the point where I felt that I would snap.
I was told that despite high profits being recorded, the company “couldn’t afford” to pay me back the money they owed, and that I should should more considerate because “everybody suffered in the pandemic”.
If you feel that you keep giving more and more to your company in the hope that your efforts will be recognised, they won't; although the managers and owners might see what you do, they know that praising you gives you a platform to ask for a raise.
This is your wake up call. Get everything in writing, and ask for specific time frames when you are given vague statements such as “we'll assess your pay in a few months”. Don't be strong-armed or guilted into working without compensation.
You are NOT at fault for valuing your time.