I am the sole performer of marketing tasks at a small manufacturing company. I’ve worked here for one year, and the CEO (for clarity, not my boss) has a very favorable opinion of me and would like to see me direct a team someday. We don’t really have any female leaders here, so it would be cool to be the first.
Prior to this role, I worked from home for several years, so coming in every day was an adjustment. However, I got this super sweet office with a windows and a door: big time luxuries for a content creator with an introvert bent. I actually prefer working in person for that reason.
The problem is we’re hiring new desk dwellers and there isn’t room for all of us. My boss says that I will have to give up my office and move to a cube in a narrow wing of the building so I can be nearer to him and the sales team (who will also be moving to the same hallway). I hate looking at it this way, but…a newly hired, white male employee will be taking my office.
This impending move has come to my attention a few times, with each reason I “have” to move triggering my BS alarm. I have made it clear to my boss that I consider a cube a downgrade, not befitting of someone who is a department head in all but title. I trade up, trade equal, or I’m out. No one else is getting a downgraded work area as a result of moving around.
Working from home has been suggested and, in theory, would be preferable, but this company could barely cope with me working remotely during a quarantine period. It’s a nice idea, but it trades one problem for another.
Has anyone else died on a similar hill? Better yet, gotten what they wanted? My solution is probably to peace out, but I’d rather accomplish a few more things here before I do that.