Coworker does vacant manager's position for a year under guise of promotion: '[They] resigned because, surprise!.. It didn't happen'

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Apr 29, 2024 6:00 PM EDT

The promise of promotion is a proverbial carrot on a stick that often gets dangled over workers' heads, encouraging them to do more and work harder for longer hours, taking on additional responsibilities, under the guise that this "growth" will soon earn them a promotion that pays them properly for the work they have been doing. Of course, while this holds merit when honest intentions are had, all too often this is exploited to get workers to do things they're not being paid to do…

This employee watched their coworker take on their departing boss's tasks, under the impression that by doing so for a period of time, they would be growing into the role and earning themselves a permanent promotion to the role. But, as time went on, their boss's role was never filled… and there weren't any real signs that the promotion was ever coming. As more and more tasks were piled onto the duo, especially the coworker who had been volunteering under false pretenses, their coworker eventually cracked under the pressure and quit. After being told that they would now be responsible for all the team's tasks, their team member, the original poster of this thread, followed suit, immediately looking for new jobs before handing in their notice. 

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  • 01
    "Coworker took on a manager's workload for one year after being promised a raise and a promotion. Resigned because... surprise! It didn't happen."
    via Thought Catalog
  • 02
    Posted by u/Inevitable_Homework Coworker took on a manager's workload for 1 year after being promised a raise and a promotion. Resigned because, surprise! It didn't happen. Can't believe I actually have something to post here haha Three years ago our team used to have three people: Our Manager, my coworker, and me. Workload was balanced and we get along well with each other. It was great.
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 03
    Then our manager resigned for a better position elsewhere. Management promised to find a replacement, and they'd appreciate it if the both of us can split her duties between us for now. We shrugged, because it really wasn't too bad back during Covid.
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 04
    A few months later, they never did replaced her. No response after poking and prodding. Then blindsided us that they no longer have the headcount. More responsibilities piled up as business returned to normal. Our workload were increasing week after week. I declined taking on more by citing how full my current plate is. My coworker, however, was oddly jumping at the chance of taking on more projects; small to big, more often than not manager level stuff. Attending so much meetings and working wi
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 05
    But perhaps they were grooming him to be her successor. Management was not my cup of tea for now so I was happy for him. Then he submitted his resignation just last month. Lasted almost 1.5 years. I found out later via the grapevine was that he was denied the promotion this year, and so he found another place with better benefits, salary and a functioning team. Not surprising at all.
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 06
    As for myself, during his handover I was informed I would be taking on his workload alongside my current one. So in total I would be taking 2 executive's and 1 manager's responsibilities. No talk of raise, promotion, or even when they'd get a replacement. So obviously not being stupid, I started looking elsewhere. I was prepared to be unemployed as I sure as wasn't staying even without getting a new job, but I got lucky with two interviews just within the week of sending out applications. Reciev
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 07
    My last day is next week. The department is low-key panicking as they can't find someone else to replace us both so soon. They've resorted to give the workload to two other contract staff, who were hired for something else and did not expect this. Obviously, they were not happy, and I try to complete my handover with them to the best of my abilities. I will never understand what management expected from this decision.
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 08
    GodofsomeWorld serves them right Imao, they literally had a guy ready, willing and able to do the job as long as he was promoted into it (with a good pay raise). Hoping this costs them to shut down due to their own moronic ways 2.2k Reply Share
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 09
    ExpressionKeeper Something like this was why I left my old job, having the satisfaction of leaving a mess for management to clean up and panic that they're losing employees faster than they can replace them was my petty revenge. Places like this have no room to undervalue and displease hard working employees like this, it always creates a "anything is better than this" mentality, they need to make their employees happy somewhat to retain them.
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 10
    kbyyru this is why you secure the raise BEFORE taking on the work!
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 11
    Squirrel Whisperer_ They expected you to 'increase your productivity' by doing the work of 3 people because that's what business management books say should happen during economic downturns.....where they fire a bunch of people and pretend that a single person can suddenly do the jobs of multiple people... Good on you for not putting up with this bs...f them...you're a better man than most for giving them the 2 weeks after the broken promises ...
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 12
    Inevitable_Homework OP ohhh i'd like to give you additional context that all employees of my company (non- usa) are required to serve a 1 month notice period. It's in the employment contract. but i was nice enough to stay on for the full period instead of offsetting my available leaves haha
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 13
    MayorofKingstown I was once this foolish, naive and trusting of the world. nearly exactly this, started a job at a large, commercial production greenhouse that supplied plants to large retail outlets like Walmart, etc....
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 14
    Manager I worked under left job at the end of summer when seasonal layoffs occurred. I was offered a full time position along with 3 others out of over 100 employees. I accepted eagerly as I loved the work and wanted to learn more about the business.
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 15
    Boss approached me later asking if I'd be willing to take on the production management duties for the next season, promising a raise and promotion etc, etc.......... eagerly accepted assuming in good faith she was not lying.
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 16
    Well, winter comes......I take on managing the production of 30,000 Pointsettias and other winter crops and it goes well. Record season sales. Spring comes and I manage the production of the spring bedding plants, we have another record year....40k hanging baskets produced and sold, 16k flats of bedding plants produced and sold.
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 17
    Summer rolls around and layoffs occur. I have meeting with boss and office manager......the meeting seems jovial and celebratory and I bring up what we discussed. a promotion to manager and raise........ ......crickets.........
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 18
    facial expressions change. "I never said that" my boss says......I turn to office manager.....fully expecting he will remember the convo as he participated. His facial expression is grim and he won't speak. He's clearly been coached to stonewall me.
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 19
    I laughed with disbelief......my heart is broken.....my boss does not see me as I see her.....I'm just a piece of meat to be ground up by her money machine. She doesn't respect me at all.......she doesn't even care about me. a hard lesson for a 20 year old.
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 20
    PsychonautAlpha My favorite thing about the corporate world is how absolutely braindead companies are regarding their people, what motivates them, and what their needs are. It's actually comical.
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 21
    De_bitterbal I don't understand how you guys do this. I have a contract with my boss where he hires me from 8:30 to 17:00 for an agreed upon sum of money. I do what I can in that time. Recently he has increased the workload for the whole company by expanding the business. I still do what I can in the agreed upon timeframe. Not one minute longer. Why should I bleed for his decisions? He could offer to rent more of my time, but I'm not interested in less time for myself so that eould be a hard no.
    via Inevitable_Homework
  • 22
    Richard_Espanol Never do more for promises. No company is gonna give you more if they can get you for less. The reality of capitalism is we're ALL making minimum wage. Sure you might not be making 8$ an hour but you can bet your they're paying you the least amount that they think they can get away with.
    via Inevitable_Homework

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