If you really think about it, wages just aren’t a fair reflection of the value you provide in the workplace, unless you’re the boss. If you’re working for someone else, the only way for them to make a profit is by paying you less than you’re worth.

In order to make any serious money, companies have to pay staff a lesser share of proceeds than they truly deserve – even though frontline staff are usually the ones doing all the hard graft.

Traditionally, people have tended to think in this way: company founders are taking most of the risk when they start a business, and if it was their idea in the first place, then these people must be entitled to more money.

Maybe that’s a fair point in some ways, but it’s equally true that once a company has had some success, these big bosses are in such a stable position that they can pretty much cream off whatever they want and the people doing the legwork don’t get a fair share.

And when the economy turns a little sour, it’s the workers who are at risk much more than the boss, who’s probably got their own money tucked away in investments. Redundancies and layoffs happen much more at ground level than they do at the top.

The only way to genuinely be paid what you’re worth is to earn your money working for yourself. It’s the only way to have control over your job security and take your financial future firmly into your own hands.

While self-employment and entrepreneurship may not seem like they’re for everybody, actually they’re much more accessible options in the internet age. The internet allows everyone the chance to promote themselves and their ideas and skills pretty much for free.

Even if you can’t afford a website, a Twitter account costs nothing and neither does a Facebook page or a free blogging account on one of the big platforms like WordPress. You can promote products on Pinterest and demonstrate your manual skills via YouTube or your specialist expertise via articles.

Literally anyone can showcase what they’re good at and if you’re good enough, people will pay for what you do. If you start to make money, you can start to freelance or spend a bit of your spare time building up your business.

It may take a bit of time and some hard work to build your platform to a high level, but eventually you’ll be paid what you’re worth. What you are worth, workwise, relates directly to the value you bring others. If you give enough value, you will be recognised and fairly paid.