In my last office job I was being asked to complete not only my own work but also the work of a frankly incompetent team lead as well as additional duties including training others and basic supervision of new staff on top of my actual IT job.
I had only picked up this job after cancer and a divorce led me to have to leave a pretty decent management level position, that due to ill health combined with having to move and basically restart my life, I simply couldn't continue, so I was seeking a basic 9-5 in a TL position. At interview, I was promised that within 6 months I would be leading my own team based purely on prior experience and my over qualification for the base position…
… They lied…
I technically started at 8:30 and ended at 5:30, for four full years I was in at 7:45 – 8am and leaving at roughly 6 – 6:30pm with no additional compensation under the impression, as noted by senior management, that I would be promoted and get the wage bump that came with it.
Four full years of additional workload and maintained productivity within the 1% top tier, two of which I was basically doing my TL's job while she sipped coffee and watched youtube and netflix I started to get frustrated.
I, understandably, got a bit miffed and during a review asked when or if the promotion would be forthcoming, I was informed that “there is no requirement for that position as you (I) are already covering the workload”
So I stopped covering the workload, stopped doing the additional TL duties such as timesheets and holiday documentation as well as basic floor walking, ceased coming in early and started leaving on time. Management were less than pleased and began fabricating reports with the TL, whose work I had been previously covering, showing me massively underperforming in spite of my now focused workload being on my actual job.
One thing led to another, and I requested a transfer to the B2B team, this was approved under the proviso I assisted in the training of the new staff for that team, with written documentation showing an intended TL/Management position within no more than six months.
I took it with a smile on my face. Six months passed and right in the middle we were hit with covid and work from home was put in place.
As some didn't have suitable home set-ups the office was spaced out considerably and some members of the team I had trained were retained in office positions.
With the return to the office, I had expected to, as acknowledged by senior staff, take up my prior position, instead my wage was reduced, and I was placed in a “new start” role in spite of seniority and experience with two of the new starts I had trained now with seniority over me due to them “showing more dedication” as they had opted to continue coming to the office in spite of the health risks.
I understandably felt both betrayed and underappreciated, and led to me leaving the position. I was later informed that this had been done intentionally to simply remove me from the company.
You would think this is where things end, not so much.
Roughly four months passed, and I got an odd email from my former employer with a request to come set up another B2B team starting in a leadership role with a healthy bump in wage.
Like a fool, I followed the breadcrumbs and even got through both the phone and physical interview process and waiting for my start date. Everyone seemed elated I was coming back.
My email arrived, and it noted a start date on the Monday of the following week, but had me down for sales at a new start agent level with the base wage.
I called HR and recruitment and attempted to get clarity on WTH was going on.
Apparently they had fulfilled the TL and Training positions “in house” with one of the new TL's being the slacker I had been covering for, who had actively requested me to her team at agent level as a floor walker and TL assistant…
… I was informed that this was “perfectly normal” in spite of my prior training on the B2B side and prior years of work with the campaign and company, and promised a promotion to my own team lead position within no more than 6 months, this time refusing to offer affirmed timeframe documentation.
I rejected the offer and have now been blacklisted with both the company and the client for future work, leaving me in a very precarious position as I had dismissed another opportunity to take the offered role, that sadly for me filled the position I was seeking while my old company screwed me around. I'm still on the other positions books, but have been told that no positions are presently open at TL level and likely won't be any time soon as they too prefer to promote from within.
I mean, am I the asshole here? I know people that are still in my various friendship groups that still work there and have told me she is still demanding others cover her workload with no push back from senior management in spite of this being very well known!
I cannot justify going to work with a new company at agent level, I'm in my 40's and that in and of itself is a barrier to entry with most companies, combined with the now blacklisting from my old job a decent review is unlikely.
So here I am, out of work and terrified, no prospects and only “starting positions” open that want you to slave for minimum wage working with people the same age as my kids.
I genuinely don't know if I can get myself back to climbing another ladder. I don't have the energy or motivation to even conceive playing those in office power games and politics again. This has led to clinical depression and a level of despair that is making me self-destruct, both socially and professionally.
I can't do it any more. My trust in any professional level management has me paranoid, and I won't allow myself to be manipulated like this again.