Manager blocks employee from getting a promotion, driving them to quit their job, years later same manager applies to a position in employee's new company: ‘I got her interview canceled’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jul 10, 2025 9:00 AM EDT

People say you should always keep up professional relationships with everyone you have ever worked with, because you never know when or where you might run into them again. In other words, don't burn any bridges in your workplace, no matter how badly you might want to. 

The funny thing about this is that it truly applies to every single person you work with, no matter what. It's not just about being nice and professional towards your superiors, managers, and the higher-ups; you need to be nice to every single person you work with, no exceptions.

Why? Because life works in mysterious ways, and even employees you barely say a word to in your previous workplace can find themselves in positions where they can hold you back from something new. So simply don't give them any reason to do so.

That is what happened in the story below, after a manager blocked an employee from getting a promotion because of pettiness. This led the employee to a better position in a new company, to which the same manager applied for years later. The employee, now a department head, decided to give that manager a taste of her own medicine. Keep scrolling to read the full tale below…

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  • 01

    Block my promotion? I'll block you from getting hired.

    Story from many years ago. I was working at a large company with plenty of politics. Promotions within a division were reviewed by a group of middle managers in
    via GoBluins
  • 02
    "Hiring her would be a mistake"
    via MART PRODUCTION

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

  • 03
    from different departments in that division during a live meeting with the head of the division. I was up for promotion but didn't get it (I
    via GoBluins
  • 04
    ended up getting it 6 months later but the damage was done - I had sought out other jobs by then, had an offer, and quit). A couple of my manager-level friends
    via GoBluins
  • 05
    were in the meeting and told me why I got blocked: a manager from another department, who I hadn't ever worked with, stood up
    via GoBluins
  • 06
    and argued against my promotion probably because this person was upset that a promotion she had put up was successfully argued
    via GoBluins
  • 07
    against by my own department head. She had made up some totally untrue bulls about my performance in order to get her way.
    via GoBluins
  • 08
    Four years later I'm a department head at a small company when we open a position as head of the function that my promotion
    via GoBluins
  • 09
    blocker was a part of, and sure enough, she applies and is scheduled for an interview when I get contacted by HR because they notice we
    via GoBluins
  • 10
    worked at the same company at the same time. I remembered her blocking my promotion so I told HR that she wasn't good,
    via GoBluins
  • 11
    wouldn't be a good fit, hiring her would be a mistake, blah blah blah. Got her interview canceled - they just told her that we decided to elevate an internal candidate.
    via GoBluins
  • 12
    3 years later this small company would end up getting taken out by a larger company for a massive stock price increase over the price
    via GoBluins
  • 13
    we were at when the position opened. Because we had lots of stock options, I effectively cost her an enormous payday - so
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  • 14
    satisfying. That what she gets for being an a hole in a very connected industry.
    via GoBluins
  • 15
    RESUME RESUME PROFILE JOB EXPERIENCES -
    via 89Stocker

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

  • 16
    Welder_Subject The petty revenge that keeps on giving
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  • 17
    Shadazzle24 I love stories like these but I just wish once someone would accept the a hole candidate and then actually GO to the interview then
    via Shadazzle24
  • 18
    deny them the position. The feeling of "ahh yes how does it feel" from your end would be so amazing
    via Shadazzle24
  • 19
    IceBlue Would have been better if you let her get multiple rounds of the way through interviews before getting her turned down.
    via IceBlue
  • 20
    SuitableEggplant639 please please please please PLEASE. tell us that somehow she found out it was you that blocked her. I'm begging you here. Come on.
    via SuitableEggplant639
  • 21
    GoBluins OP Don't think so, although she probably knew I worked at the company and may have put it together.
    via GoBluins

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Tags

promotion boss workplace-stories employee manager job tales-from-the-workplace reddit story petty revenge petty hiring overworked-employees workplace Reddit company funny
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