For context, I’m a journalist that works at an outlet that primarily covers video games, but also film/TV and tech. I started at my job 1.5 years ago, specializing in film/TV.
The thing is, my department head specializes in, and only has interest in covering, games when he’s paid good money to oversee all verticals that fall under our area of coverage. The way our team was structured, he and one other person handled games, two people handled tech, but only one person — me — handled film/TV, the most prolific of all the categories. Because of my boss’ unwillingness to touch film/TV coverage, it became quickly apparent that I was the only one on the team who had no one to cover for me if I ever took a vacation without me coming back to a dumpster fire and taking a ton of heat for it. In 1.5 years, I never took a day off where I fully logged off. I bought this issue up to my boss (who takes one week off every month) several times and he basically just acted like I was whining. The issue got so bad that, after my appendix ruptured at the end of last month and caused a life-threatening infection that wouldn't go away even after my appendectomy, I was STILL working from the hospital because there was no one to cover for me while I recovered.
Recently, though, another department head started trying to poach me for her department. Our publisher was also on board for this — eager, even. After finally fully recovering from my ruptured appendix, I gave them a solid answer and told them I would move departments, specifically because I would never be able to take a vacation in my current role. It was Tuesday when I accepted the role; my new manager and our publisher were thrilled and wanted to move as fast as possible, asking if I could start my new job as early as next Monday. I told them I’d be happy to, but my current boss was going to freak out, as he doesn’t know how to run his own department and never figured out a way to cover for me. I also insisted that I would not do both jobs at once while we searched for a replacement, as I knew I would be stuck doing that unless I put my foot down. They both assured me that that wouldn't happen and that they would handle my boss.
They broke the news to him separately, knowing what his reaction would be, and I messaged him to say that we needed to meet to work through the specifics of my transition. He told me I would still need to work for his department until we found a replacement for me. I told him no, I wouldn't do that, and I was told by people higher than him that I wouldn't have to. He CONTINUED to try to back me into a corner and pushed and pushed and pushed, hoping I would fold and he could take that to our publisher and say “see, she's fine with it!” like the good little team player I am. Eventually, he started blaming me for the quick transition:
Boss: “I'm just concerned about a fast transition if I'm not getting much support – if you were leaving the company you'd give your two weeks' notice and we'd immediately post the job. As it is it's one four-day week of notice and I'm not sure when the job posting's going up, and it's going to take some time to fill it. The problem is that without you pitching in is that all of that falls to me until we get someone else in here, and I'm not all that well-equipped to do it, making it even more stressful. I'm hoping to spread it around at least a little bit.”
Me: “I told you many times previously that the issue of no one being able to fully cover for me was a giant problem that would need to be addressed eventually and you're only now taking it seriously when you're the one paying the price. I have been paying for the fact that you aren't capable of running the department you're paid good money to run for 1.5 years, and your failures are no longer my problem. The rest of this conversation is above my paygrade. [Publisher] decided on the start date and my duties; I am fine if he wants to delay that start date, but that is up to him. But I am drawing a hard boundary that I will not work two jobs at once. Take the rest up with [publisher].
I stopped talking to him after that and told my publisher and new manager about what was happening; publisher stepped in, told me to no longer speak with him, and that he would handle it. Today, I sat awaiting updates while I let my publisher handle my boss and the two fought all afternoon, but I had no part in it. Eventually, my publisher told me I could officially make my transition to my new department on Monday and any failures that happened in my previous department as a result would be a reflection of my soon-to-be former boss.
In short, I am beyond proud of myself for standing up for myself. If I would've let him take advantage of me, he would've, but I stood my ground and won. And I couldn't feel more validated in my decision to move.