‘Some weird favoritism’: Troublemaking, under-qualified coworker is chosen for promotion over star employee, employee is then forced to quit her job after workplace retaliation

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
May 1, 2025 1:00 PM EDT

If you're feeling stagnant in your career, it's understandable to try to search for more fulfilling, greener pastures. Feeling stuck as an adult is one of the worst feelings in the world and can influence you to harbor feelings of resentment and self-deprecation for those who are excelling around you. At the end of the day, remaining loyal to one company will not do you any good… Especially when they promise you that you're in the running for a raise/promotion and hire an under-qualified subordinate of yours instead.

As if being looked over isn't enough, the person who managed to land the promotion is now turning everyone against you for complaining about management's hiring choices. The woman in this next story has years of seniority over the chosen candidate and even turned down another role at another company because she wanted to remain loyal to her current one. Now, without the promotion keeping her there, the woman decides to leave the toxic workplace behind and gallop in the greener pastures that have been promised to her elsewhere. Scroll to read the full story.

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  • There's a certain level of betrayal that exists when a company heavily suggests they admire you, your work ethic, and plan on keeping you at the company in a powerful role. At the end of the day, everyone must pay their dues… but it has to amount to something, right? 

  • "Do all of her years of hard work, dedication, and training mean nothing...?"
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • "My wife was forced to quit her job after they gave her promotion to an under-qualified trainee."

    I (36m) and my wife (28f), let's just call her 'K', are high-level professionals in our field. We have put in close to a decade of training, education, and experience from all over the world into our careers and have stellar reputations and respect from some big to-do names in our industry.
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  • At K's job, a rare opportunity to move up the corporate ladder opened up. Naturally, she applied. She has been a part of this company for over 2 years, as a leader, mentor to the younger
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  • generations entering the field, and will often even take on extra work to help the team, when necessary. K has also been attending online school to finish up her dream-degree, at the
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  • same time. We have 2 kids and spend regular time with them, on a daily basis. About 6 months ago, K got a job offer from her brother's company, offering her a higher salary, flexible schedule, travel plus expenses, and more.
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  • The position is not in her field, but she does excel at it. K informed her current employer of the offer to which her team manager begged her not to take it, as opportunities would be arising at her current job, soon.
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  • Being the loyal and passionate person my wife is, she stayed. And low and behold, only a few months later, a rare management role opened up.
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  • The position opened up suddenly and was a surprise to everyone, as this role is one people tend to hang on to, for many many years. The best part; K was a shoe-in.
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  • She has the most seniority on her team, she wildly out-ranks even the current management team in terms of certifications and credentials, and she has been recognized repeatedly as an
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  • outstanding employee and team- member. This promotion is highly coveted and so, naturally, many of the internal team and external applicants submitted their resumes.
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    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Approximately 7 months ago, a new girl was hired to the team. Let's call her B (25f). B is new the industry, this job being her first real experience in this field. Her degree has absolutely nothing to do with what my wife does at her
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  • job. B has earned a reputation with starting clicks and groups that shun others, and badmouth teammates and management. While she does her job well, she has created rifts between the team to the point that it feels like a mafia.
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  • For those asking, I used to be on the same team and witnessed this first-hand, before I left to pursue my own venture and to ensure that I wasn't going to get in my wife's way for a promotion. My separation was proper, friendly, and I left with a glowing recommendation from both the team and HR.
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  • B decided to apply for the management position, even though she doesn't meet the positions listed qualifications which include: 2+ years of experience in the field (B got her training last year)
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  • • Over 1 year of experience on a similar team (B only joined the team this past fall and before that was a school teacher) • Experience a trainer and instructor (Bs credentials fall short and only qualify her to be an assistant to an instructor)
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  • After 2 weeks of interviews, and several qualified candidates. K got the news that she didn't get the position. Which, while disappointed, reassured me that one of the external hires must have a fantastic resume and previous management-level experience.
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  • But thar wasn't the case. They gave the job to B. Undercutting more than a dozen qualified candidates, including K. My wife was beside herself. She had trained B since day 1.
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  • K called her team leader, the same guy who begged her to stay, and asked what was going on. And all he did was get mad at her for being upset. When she asked how B qualified for the position, her manager grew stern and said, "Well, she does. I don't know what to tell you."
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  • The thing is, the Training credentials are accessible to anyone in the field. We can see that she doesn't meet the position requirements.
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  • When K pointed this out, her manager sternly yelled, "Listen, I can tell you are upset and I don't want to do this over the phone. So, why don't you think about this over the next week and we can talk more when I get back from my cruise." To which he then promptly hung-up.
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  • K's phone began exploding with calls and texts from the team, other teams and their leaders within the company, shocked and offended at this turn of events.
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  • K later received an email from the district manager offering to meet and talk, in lieu of the team manager. But the district manager offered no answers and told her that,
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  • "We made our decision based on a number of factors." Since then, B has been shutting K out of meetings, turning younger team-mayes against her, talking poorly behind her back and setting her up for failure time and time again. And every time K brings attention to it, she is dismissed and admonished for not getting along with the new manager.
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  • Luckily, K's brother still had the job available and she is taking it. She is informing her current job this week that she will be leaving at the end of this month.
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  • Is there anything she can do? Or do all of her years of hard work, dedication, and training mean nothing and she just has to s k it up that some weird favoritism is flushing her entire career down the drain? Thanks for sitting through this long read.
    via New_direction2025

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