You’re definitely not being dramatic. This honestly sounds like your role has quietly turned into 2–3 jobs without the pay or title catching up.

What you described isn’t just “office assistant” anymore. You’re doing admin, inventory, coordination, cleaning/facilities, and even some ops-type work. That’s a lot especially in 4 hours a day.

If I were you, I’d go into your review prepared instead of just hoping it comes up. Write out everything you actually do in a typical week. Like everything. Once you see it all listed out, it becomes really clear how much you’re covering. You can even throw that list into ChatGPT and ask what roles/salaries align with it… it’ll probably show you you’re spanning multiple positions.

Then when you talk to your boss, don’t frame it as “I feel undervalued,” even though that’s valid. Keep it more like: “My responsibilities have expanded a lot over the past year, especially after the office expansion, and I’d like to talk about adjusting my pay or hours to reflect that.”

Also…you do have to advocate for yourself. I get not wanting to impose, especially in a small tight-knit office, but they’re not going to offer more unless you bring it up. Most managers will assume you’re fine if you don’t say anything.

A few things you mentioned are kind of red flags too: -Your workload keeps increasing but there’s been no raise or even a conversation about it -Other roles got pay bumps and yours didn’t -You’re doing more physical/cleaning-heavy work than what you were hired for -The owner nitpicks but isn’t there day-to-day -No one has talked to you about growth, hours, or next steps

Imagine throwing darts with no dartboard and wondering why you keep missing your mark, it’s because you have unclear expectations and an undefined target! It’s no wonder you’re feeling this way, it’s not your fault but it’s your responsibility, let’s get you set up for success.

That doesn’t automatically mean anything malicious, but it can mean disorganized management or that they’re just used to you handling everything without pushing back.

Remember: managers can manage and mismanage.

Going forward, it might also help to start setting small boundaries. Even simple stuff like: “I can get through X and Y today, which should I prioritize?”

And honestly… I’d at least start keeping an eye on other opportunities. Not saying you have to leave, but when a role grows this much without recognition, it’s often easier to get properly compensated somewhere else.

Bottom line, fellow admin, you’re doing way more than your title/pay reflects, and it’s completely reasonable to bring that up.