'I refuse to settle... I'm applying elsewhere': Hardworking lab technician quits after getting denied a promotion but having his workload doubled anyways

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Nov 8, 2023 1:00 PM EST

More work equals more money. It's the golden rule of business, but in most company environments, this simple equation gets over-complicated with variables like pizza parties, 'company culture', and bosses saying that you're a family. The planned mystification of wages in the workplace goes all the way up the ladder, but for many workers, the mysteries that lie behind their salary are infinite. 

Apart from the HR lady who initially signed every employee up for direct deposit, most workers struggle to ever pin down whomever is responsible for their pay. The pinball effect of bouncing the responsibility to someone else or 'needing to circle back' 400x before ever discussing a raise is what keeps most workers under their preferred pay. Well, for one hardworking research lab technician, u/Ddaeng_chick, they were tired of having their bosses forget the golden rule. Keep scrolling to read the full story of how one employee saw right through the veil of salaried mysteries and decided to take their wages into their own hands. 

Next up on the list, here's a story of a guy who taught his employer a lesson by charging an arm-and-a-leg on a consultation meeting that could have been an email. 

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  • 01
    r/antiwork. Posted by u/Ddaeng_chick 17 hours ago D Asked For A Promotion. Was Denied. But Given The Work Load Anyway I was hired as a research lab technician II. I started and proved myself. Everyone had
    via u/Ddaeng_chick
  • 02
    nothing but good things to say about me and my work ethic. Our research associate left so I decided to shoot my shot and asked for a promotion to be the research associate. My boss said he didn't think I was ready for that yet which is totally fine. I
    via u/Ddaeng_chick
  • 03
    had only been there four months by that point so okay fine. Well the time came to make our smart goals for the new fiscal year and I was given goals that
    via u/Ddaeng_chick
  • 04
    aligned with a research associate job description, not technician. I am literally running an entire experiment on my own. So obviously my boss thinks I am capable but doesn't want to give me the title or pay.
    via u/Ddaeng_chick
  • 05
    Long story short I'm applying elsewhere. I'm tired of being under appreciated and overworked. I used to think job hopping was bad but I refuse to settle anymore. I'll job hop until I'm happy.
    via u/Ddaeng_chick
  • 06
    Miyuki22 15 hr. ago If you performed the duties of the role, you have already demonstrated capability. Point this out, ask for the promotion, or you will simply go back to just doing tech2 role.
    via u/Miyuki22
  • 07
    scene_missing - 17 hr. ago Tell the next job you are a Research Associate 1.1k Reply Share phunktastic 1. 17 hr. ago Yep he has the new job description his boss gave him to justify it too. He may not have the title but he has the responsibilities.
    via u/scene_missing
  • 08
    Starz_4_u 16 hr. ago Find something better then tell them to shove your new workload up their
    via u/Starz_4_u
  • 09
    Lars_loves_Community 17 hr. ago Tell your boss the only thing that can keep you here is getting paid fir what you do at the moment. Their reaction should tell you quite clearly if it is worth staying or not
    via u/Lars_loves_Community
  • 10
    RahulRedditor - 16 hr. ago Don't tell the boss ; they'll only put the information to evil use. Get a better job and tell the boss "I quit."
    via u/RahulRedditor
  • 11
    burnmenowz. 11 hr. ago Learn what you can and get out. They'll value you when you're gone.
    via u/burnmenowz
  • 12
    Cool Cheetah658 - 13 hr. ago I'd put my foot down. Your job description doesn't state you should do research associate role. Stop all work related to that immediately and only do tech 2 work unless he gives you the promotion and raise.
    via u/Cool_Cheetah658
  • 13
    He complains, state that it is outside of your job description to do that work and without the assigned certification from your employer (ie. The title) you don't feel comfortable with the risk to yourself and employer. HR should back that argument up, since you are wading into "legal risk to employer" waters.
    via u/Cool_Cheetah658
  • 14
    He will either promote you or fire you. One way, you get what you want. The other, he punishes himself for being an . Start looking for other work elsewhere anyways and use the experience doing research associate work on your resume. That's what you did.
    via u/Cool_Cheetah658
  • 15
    YOLOSwag42069Nice 8 hr. ago idle You need to adjust your efforts to your pay. Hard work is only rewarded with more work.
    via u/YOLOSwag42069Nice
  • 16
    FU-I-Quit2022 · 7 hr. ago The modern day promotion: no extra pay, just work like you make the extra pay. Thaink and work like a partner... it;s just that you're never going to be one.
    via u/FU-I-Quit2022
  • 17
    Tylar_Lannister 5 hr. ago at work Had a manager explain once they like to do this to test if you're capable of doing the job before a promotion... I hate that approach, but it's pretty common.
    via u/Tylar_Lannister
  • 18
    McKenzie S 59 min. ago And in the current environment I'd want that in writing, after x amount of time and a satisfactory performance review title will be x and pay will increase to x. Test me if you want. But don't give me responsibility without the intention of pay to match.
    via u/McKenzie_S
  • 19
    MrCertainly 5 hr. ago Work your wage.
    via u/MrCertainly
  • 20
    Competent Officer956 · 1 hr. ago Moral of the story is, like you did, read the job description and don't go beyond it except for a new job and more pay.
    via u/Competent_Officer956
  • 21
    "My boss thinks I am capable but doesn't want है to give me the title or pay."
    via u/canva

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salary promotion boss worker employee manager great resignation work coworkers workload working quit raise employees pay supervisor workplace payback coworker quitting resignation
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