That sounds really frustrating, and your feelings make total sense. You worked hard, showed reliability, and even stepped up when others didn’t, so it’s natural to feel disappointed when the raise doesn’t reflect your effort. It’s especially tough when you already feel like your boss doesn’t respect you—it makes the situation feel even more unfair.

You’re right that it’s better than nothing, but it’s okay to acknowledge the letdown too. Sometimes raises have less to do with effort and more to do with favoritism, budgets, or how management perceives things, which isn’t always fair. What matters is that you know the effort you’ve put in, even if it’s not being recognized the way it should be.

If you can, keep documenting the times you go above and beyond—like cleaning that room when no one else would. Having that record could help if you ever decide to ask for a review or advocate for yourself again. And in the long run, it may be worth keeping an eye out for other opportunities where your work ethic and reliability will be valued more fairly.

You absolutely deserve to feel appreciated for the hard work you do.