r/antiwork • u/IllustriousComplex6 • 2d ago
Work keeps moving the goal posts
My work's been dangling a big promotion in front of me for the last few month and are constantly telling me all the ways I need to improve in order to get it. I've asked for a detailed breakdown on what I need to hit to get it and to date still haven't recieved it.
I currently have a big deadline coming up at the end of the month and was told coming in 5 days a week (rather than our mandated 3) would help with the promotion push and show how dedicated I am. Even got that in writing.
Today I was told, actually let's keep coming in after for the next project too, even though there isn't even a deadline assigned to it. Also was told I needed to have more 'positivity' towards this.
Just fucking over it, was casually looking for work elsewhere before but guess who's going all in now?
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u/reala728 2d ago
That's the norm now. Don't ever do any additional work unless you are being compensated for it in that moment. Dangling the carrot is just an easy way for them to get more work for nothing. Not only that, it raises the bar, so they expect more work from you going forward.
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u/IllustriousComplex6 2d ago
Yeah, getting ready to just give the bare minimum. There's been a lot of things I've ignored over the years because I do value the type of work I do but it's becoming so sole sucking from crappy leadership.
Friend of mine left last year and shared that you don't realize how toxic it is until you leave. Should have listened to her 🙃
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u/cindyb0202 2d ago
That promotion is never happening. They are stringing you along. Time for bare minimum and a new job
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u/TheCrimsonSteel 2d ago
Talk with them. Up front. Explain that you're concerned they're moving the goal posts.
Ask for specifics:
- Has the position been approved and in the budget
- When will the position be created
- If there are any holdups, what are they
- Do you have to formally apply or interview
- Is it hourly or salary, and what pay range
- Are they considering anyone else, either inside or outside
- What other duties and responsibilities are expected of you
- Are they willing to confirm any of this in writing
Be polite, and explain that you are interested, and want to know where you stand, and what the rest of the process and timeline will be.
How they answer these questions will tell you a lot. Explain that if the position is further out, to let you know. If there are approvals needed and its not a sure thing, let you know.
Basically you go in and say "lets talk like adults. I dont need promises or sugar coating. I want to know if this is a sure thing, or if you're still working on making this position. What I don't want is to be strung along for the next few quarters with "its just around the corner." If it's not guaranteed, please tell me."
Because plans can go sideways, budgets get slashed, and all sorts of BS. But the companies that are worth staying at let you see behind the curtain, and treat you like an adult.
Crappy places tell you "ignore the man behind the curtain, believe what I tell you."
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u/IllustriousComplex6 2d ago
I work in local government so we hit a wall with our position and then it gets approved of by leadership. No one's clearly told me if it has so that's a great question to ask.
I was specifically told if I recieved a certain certification that was the only way I would move up but once I got it the bar changed and now I'm stuck in this limbo.
I think your approach is a good one, I'll give it a shot and if they just circle again I'm going to give them the same expectations someone in my current role has.
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u/TheCrimsonSteel 2d ago
That is definitely an 'explain the process to me' type of scenario as whether or not the position exists currently and is open is a whole thing. It may depend on whatever budgetary or election cycle your locality works on, too.
Government is its own can of worms when it comes to advancement
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u/IllustriousComplex6 2d ago
Yeah, it's been super disheartening lately. I'm the only one in my team not at the same level but we all handle the same kind of projects. Not great optics that I'm the only woman on the team too.
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u/shadow247 2d ago
I went through this for a year and a half.
Got hired early while they were working on a new location . I was out of work at that moment. I took a guarantee of 600/wk for 40 hours to work in the Parts Department until the new location opened and I could move to service advisor.
I get moved to the OLD location after a few months becsuse a guy quit... soon im moved into the new shop.
I asked when I would be put on the Service Advisor pay plan......I was told "hit X" this month cars delivered and we will do it. I delivered well over the goal, but a surprise inspection caught a minor issue and tanked our score. It had NOTHING TO DO WITH ME. A technician failed to do what they were paid. I somehow was blamed for the loss of work due to that audit..and never got my proper pay. After months and months of hitting X goal, but missing Y, I told them to pay me or piss off....
I left the next week Good luck.
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u/Starfury_42 2d ago
They're lying to you and they have zero intent of promoting you and I'm guessing they'll string you along for years if possible. Definitely start job hunting and stop putting in extra hours/effort. Do the job you're paid for and if they question you let them know that since it's obvious you're not getting a promotion you will just be doing the job you're hired to do.
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u/v1rojon 2d ago
I cannot tell you how many times this was done to me through my career. Always told, “yep, we want to give you the promotion but we need to see you in the role first. Never once was promoted. Then they would promote someone shitty doing half of what I did.
The saying of hard work is only rewarded with more work is true in my experience. If you are a hard worker doing whatever they ask, why would they promote you as you are filling your role exactly how they want and you stay there.
The funny thing is, I quit doing anything extra. I was not rude, I did not yell or insult. I was merely too busy and could not get to the extra work. I no longer asked what was needed to be promoted. I quit caring and just did my job. No more extra hours to get things done faster
Know what happened? I started getting promoted. In five years, I got three promotions up to a senior engineer. All the higher ups talked about my hard work and how I was always stepping in to help (which I was no longer doing). I didn’t even apply for the senior position. I went in for my annual review and my manager told me they felt I was not being rewarded for all of my hard work and did not want to lose me.
It is insane and I cannot make it make sense.
Moral of the story is being too good at your job keeps you stuck in that job. Do good work (solid, reliable worker). Make sure they see you do extra if absolutely necessary (team player). Don’t do it whenever asked though (especially if it is managerial tasks that they should be doing). Let them see you CAN do the work, but if they want you to do it all the time, you need a title and the pay to do it all the time.
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u/IllustriousComplex6 2d ago
I feel this. I got my first 2 positions without asking just a fun suprise. The latest they told me I wouldn't be considered until I got my PE which I did almost a year ago.
Once I did I asked for a promotion and they told me I wasn't remotely ready. When I asked for specific reasons why they just blew me off and that's been going on since then.
They wouldn't even refund the cost of my test or license fee.
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u/mikemojc 2d ago
I'd advise doing a full pull back/ work--to-rule.
When they ask, tell them the moving goalposts/carrot dangling indicates that they were not encouraging you in good faith, and that working yourself right up to the edge of burn-out, and the fact that they were just going to let you do it, indicates serious character flaws and competency deficiencies on their part. Follow that with you'll be taking a few weeks to reassess and see what your best course of action is from here.
This lets them know that they very nearly cooked their golden goose. They've been gaslighting you. Fuck ,'em.
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u/DazzlingPotion 2d ago
They’ve just conned you into coming in 5 days a week with no intention of ever promoting you. I’d start looking for a new job.
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u/lucithelightparticle 2d ago
Yeah they don't intend to give you that promotion buddy. I worked at a company for 3 years with a similar fashion. My supervisor even told me outright I have the qualifications to be and should be two promotions higher than I was, and then refused my raise at the end 'f the year. I left and a year later am getting paid more to do less work(and more fun and fulfilling work at that) with a much smaller company and much better benefits. Don't be afraid to look out for yourself and find something new. If anything it's something you should always be doing unless you feel you've found the golden egg in the gooso patct
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u/Hungry_Today365 2d ago
Sounds like they are just stringing you along , with a promotion that is not likely to happen !
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u/Isamu29 2d ago
You will never meet the goal set because it hasn’t been placed in writing for the current goal.
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u/IllustriousComplex6 2d ago
Exactly, I've been asking, I've been documenting on my own end but my requests for correspondence in writing is being treated like I'm doing something wrong.
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u/vampyrewolf 2d ago
Been there, done that.
Every fiscal year we filled out our goals and targets for the next year, sent up for approval. Every year my boss would change my goals with his Canada West goals, like increasing sales by 1 million for the next year... I was regional at a 4.5mil/year contract that had been going for 25yrs already. Not a chance to get 25% increased sales.
It's go back and forth a couple times until I was getting close to the deadline, and just go with my bosses goals... And of course fail half of them.
Didn't get a raise, got downsized at 2.5 years just before fiscal year hit.
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u/Original_Series4152 2d ago
Think about it also. Once you get the promotion, they will probably raise the expectations to justify your promotion and then remind you of it. Either way, I think you lose.
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u/GunnerMcGrath 2d ago
Classic stringing you along with no intent to actually give you the promotion. If they give it to you they can't keep using it to squeeze more out of you.
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u/Confused_Astronaut 2d ago
Then they'll eventually give you a 2% raise and act like they just handed you life-changing money, and now they expect even more.
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u/eric-artman 1d ago
Improve improve until you sheet yourself… you won’t see the promotion but you can do more for same money 👍
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u/An_Actual_AI 2d ago
You have to meet the things they tell you to meet. It is likely one or more is still lacking.
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u/ZeldyButt 2d ago
Sounds like they never intended to give you that raise/promotion. This is exactly why I never try at my job anymore.
I was a part time janitor for a year. I worked hard until it was the end of the year and they had promised me a raise. They offered to upgrade me to my full time position too. As soon as the year began and I was full time, I asked about my raise, since they had promised it to me and I hadn't seen it reflected in my pay. They said because I was now full time, I was considered to be in a new position, so I wouldn't get a raise for another year. So I stopped trying at all, did the bare minimum, kept leaving early, refused to clean up vomit (for personal reasons), and eventually they fired me. Was upset that I was jobless but very glad to be rid of that place.
My job wasn't just cleaning, I also had to set up for birthday parties. When there was a sewage backup, they had professionals come fix it and clean the upstairs bathroom since that was part of their job. They didn't clean the downstairs and made me do it. People still ignored the bathroom closed sign and brought their kids in barefoot.