I've been at my company for 7 years. Started as a contract worker, promoted to permanent employee 9 months later.
Been in the same position ever since. I work for a very small sub-dept in a big corporation, so there's never been much room for advancement. Sure, I've added areas of expertise to the many hats I wear, and advancements from level 1 to level 2 and things like that, but never any true advancement or promotions.
That is, until now. Recently, higher ups in the company came to my team and poached a few of us. Other depts within the larger corporation are short-staffed. They basically poached us, with offers of new opportunity. And it was less an offer, and more of a forced move. Basically we could not say no to the new opportunity. This opportunity felt right, because it was about time for me to start looking. I am very burnt out, so was planning to start looking – within my company, and elsewhere. So I thought this couldn't be better timing.
But, the move is lateral. No extra money. And it is going to fuck with my schedule. I have a great 8 – 4:30 schedule right now. Which is great for days I have to go to the office because I live 25 miles away and the traffic is a nightmare. Not to mention, I have worked up to it. 7 years ago when I started, I did 9:30-6. Did that a few years. Then I worked up to 8:30-5, and then eventually 8-4:30 which is where I've been for a good 2+ years. This new role will be rotating monthly. So I could work any shift between 8-4:30 up to the 9:30-6 shift. My new dept doesn't care what schedule I have now. They don't care that it's not fair to me. They don't care that if I leave the office at 5, or 5:30, or 6 that I will sit in a world of traffic worse than what I sit in when I leave at 4:30. They don't care about my kids extracurriculars. If I need to leave earlier on a day I am on the late schedule, “oh don't worry. Reach out to any of your team mates and they will happily switch with you for a day here or there, just like you can do for them if they need to adjust their schedule”. They also say the rotating schedule “makes it fair for everyone because no one wants to work the late shift”. Well, I beg to differ, because anyone else they hired from the outside, interviewed and accepted a schedule knowing they would be working late. It's not like I'm brand new, and was told during an interview what the hours would be, being given an opportunity to turn the job down. I am forced into this.
The company will see what they get themselves into when they waste their resources. Force me into a new position. Fine. Waste time and resources training me. And as soon as I have the time for some interviews and find a new job, I'm out. And then both my old dept and my new dept will be down a person.