Small Work Vent

[Smurfysmiles]

So I started at my company back in July. I did great, was moving along fast and keeping team spirits up. Then they hire a third person on. I trained her for about 2 weeks before she was ready to go on her own. Shortly after that I got a raise. Since then til the present she emails me asking to explain things to her and how to do things. Things she should know by now. My boss told me she wouldn''t be with us after the new year and I thought, that''s great! More work for me to do and less time telling her how to do things. I found out today she got promoted to a position I have a degree in and she does not. Not to mention she''ll be earning more money than I will and given all the bills we have, we REALLY could have used that!! And I''m pissed. And I needed to get it out. So there it is.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

I meant to post this in newlyweds if anyone wants to move it over there for me, thanks mods

 

[princesss]

Is it possible to talk to your boss once you''ve calmed down? Just talk to him and say, "Hey, this job that Other Girl got is something I''d like to do eventually. How can I make myself a good candidate for something like that if a position opens up in the future?" It doesn''t take the sting out of it happening now, but at least you''re setting yourself up to be ready the next time an opportunity comes up.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Yeah I know, I just needed to get this out somewhere besides outloud

 

[meresal]

Smurfy, I am so sorry to hear about this. That can not be easy to deal with. I would hope that the management had a legitimate reason for promoting her.

I agree that you should go to your supervisor and ask why you were passed over, and what you can do in the future that you were not doing. Maybe it''t just me, but I think a happy work place is very important, and your manager/superisor should be open to your inquiries.

 

[katamari]

Date: 12/29/2009 6:48:41 PM
Author: meresal
Smurfy, I am so sorry to hear about this. That can not be easy to deal with. I would hope that the management had a legitimate reason for promoting her.


I agree that you should go to your supervisor and ask why you were passed over, and what you can do in the future that you were not doing. Maybe it''t just me, but I think a happy work place is very important, and your manager/superisor should be open to your inquiries.

Huge ditto! Sometimes it just takes showing that you are interested and invested. Work towards whatever they tell you needs working on and make sure they know you are willing to take any promotion that comes up that gets you working in this area. Good luck.

 

[honey22]

This totally sucks Smurfy! I would def ask your supervisor what''s the deal.

Maybe you gave her so much help that your superiors thought it was all her doing? Maybe they don''t realise what''s been going on?

Good luck and chin up sweetie, your turn will come.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Thank you for the encouragement ladies
I''m going to talk to my supervisor about it at our next 1 on 1 meeting
DH took me out for dinner and a beer last night so that cheered me up.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

It''s official, I saw my boss congratulating her right in front of me...f-ing lame (pardon of my language)
and on top of it all, im sick as a dog

 

[noelwr]

slutting herself up the corporate ladder?

unfortunately there are just some promotions that are completely beyond me and obviously have nothing to do with experience or ability, and more of who is kissing whose ass.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Date: 12/30/2009 12:16:48 PM
Author: noelwr
slutting herself up the corporate ladder?

ew thanks for the image of her and my boss...yuck lol

 

[sunnyd]

With promotions, it''s usually not about what you know, it''s about attitude. Anyone can learn a new skill.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Date: 12/30/2009 1:40:20 PM
Author: sunnyd
With promotions, it''s usually not about what you know, it''s about attitude. Anyone can learn a new skill.

Well that surprised me too. I usually keep the team in good spirits as well as upper management. I don''t email people about things we are having issues with, I go talk to them face to face. I''ve only heard this girl utter maybe a couple sentences in each meeting and she never says anything to boost the team up or anyone else. I''m sure she''s a hard worker but it seems I do half of her work for her...that is what has me baffled.

Oh well, I guess not much I can do about it now :-\ Other than keep working hard

 

[wannaBMrsH]

Smurfy, I am so sorry that this is happening to you.

My advice comes from being in HR and you can ignore or not at your will. Often times, there are MANY different factors at work and depending on the state that you live in, you as an employee, won''t always be privy to the correct information and there won''t be anything you can do about it.

For example, Other Girl might have been hired with the intent of moving her into the new position in 6 months time and the time has come. Such agreements are usually highly confidential and there would be no reason to explain this to any other employee.

Another reason might be pay. If Other Girl was making comparable money at another company, your company might have hired her with the promise of a raise within a certain period of time. Maybe they can''t give her the raise without a promotion to justify it and they were hoping that she would prove herself to be open to instruction and new ideas. (Which, she obviously is, if she is asking for other employee''s input).

Or it could be the opposite, Other Girl wanted the job (was it posted on the company website or anywhere?) and agreed to not take a pay increase if they gave her the opportunity to prove herself. Salary information is confidential and not something that you can usually ask.

In my state (Texas) it is illegal for employees to discuss salary information with each other. We can dismiss employees who come to us asking for a raise because their counterpart got one. Not only can we dismiss the employee who brings us the information, but we are obligated to investigate and if it is determined that the counterpart shared his or her salary, we can make a decision to terminate their employment as well.

I have an employee at my company that makes three times what I make, we have the same degree and prior to my current job, our resumes very closely mirrored each others. What is so special about her? I have NO idea, but our executive team would NOT stop pestering her and kept agreeing to every obstacle that she threw at them (wanted more vacation from the start, home office due to the long commute, extra options, more money, etc.). AND THEY AGREED TO IT! I was horrified, and I tried (as HR) to explain that this is highly unusual. The team wanted her and only her, and qualified employees and candidates be damned. In the end, she is here and I can''t resent her for taking a position that she is unqualified for and for a ridiculous salary and fringe benefits. She asked and they said yes. They knew going in that she did not have experience or knowledge and they still wanted her on the team. She''s been here for well over a year and I still stand by my assertion that she is nothing special, but our executive team is in charge and they are happy with her work or contributions to the team whatever those may be. I''ve had to learn to deal with it when I update the bonus and payroll systems.

I am just putting that out there before you decide to take on your boss in a losing battle. You might feel better initially, but especially in this economy, I would be hesitant to bring up Other Girl''s particulars without knowing what your impact would be. The suggestion to say, "I would love to be considered if another position like that comes open in the future." is a fantastic one because it doesn''t actually have anything to do with Other Girl and shows your initiative.

I hope that helps and again, I am sorry that you are going through this.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Thanks mrsh, those are all really good points that I guess I had not considered.

As for my boss, I wasn''t going to mention the other girl, just that they had hired me on because of my degree with the promise I would have chances to use my skills in it and is it possible to get more degree related projects to work on in the new year. Hopefully then they could see my eagerness to help with other things and my potential for the future.

 

[emeraldlover1]

Date: 12/30/2009 2:31:40 PM
Author: wannaBMrsH
Smurfy, I am so sorry that this is happening to you.

My advice comes from being in HR and you can ignore or not at your will. Often times, there are MANY different factors at work and depending on the state that you live in, you as an employee, won''t always be privy to the correct information and there won''t be anything you can do about it.

For example, Other Girl might have been hired with the intent of moving her into the new position in 6 months time and the time has come. Such agreements are usually highly confidential and there would be no reason to explain this to any other employee.

Another reason might be pay. If Other Girl was making comparable money at another company, your company might have hired her with the promise of a raise within a certain period of time. Maybe they can''t give her the raise without a promotion to justify it and they were hoping that she would prove herself to be open to instruction and new ideas. (Which, she obviously is, if she is asking for other employee''s input).

Or it could be the opposite, Other Girl wanted the job (was it posted on the company website or anywhere?) and agreed to not take a pay increase if they gave her the opportunity to prove herself. Salary information is confidential and not something that you can usually ask.

In my state (Texas) it is illegal for employees to discuss salary information with each other. We can dismiss employees who come to us asking for a raise because their counterpart got one. Not only can we dismiss the employee who brings us the information, but we are obligated to investigate and if it is determined that the counterpart shared his or her salary, we can make a decision to terminate their employment as well.

I have an employee at my company that makes three times what I make, we have the same degree and prior to my current job, our resumes very closely mirrored each others. What is so special about her? I have NO idea, but our executive team would NOT stop pestering her and kept agreeing to every obstacle that she threw at them (wanted more vacation from the start, home office due to the long commute, extra options, more money, etc.). AND THEY AGREED TO IT! I was horrified, and I tried (as HR) to explain that this is highly unusual. The team wanted her and only her, and qualified employees and candidates be damned. In the end, she is here and I can''t resent her for taking a position that she is unqualified for and for a ridiculous salary and fringe benefits. She asked and they said yes. They knew going in that she did not have experience or knowledge and they still wanted her on the team. She''s been here for well over a year and I still stand by my assertion that she is nothing special, but our executive team is in charge and they are happy with her work or contributions to the team whatever those may be. I''ve had to learn to deal with it when I update the bonus and payroll systems.

I am just putting that out there before you decide to take on your boss in a losing battle. You might feel better initially, but especially in this economy, I would be hesitant to bring up Other Girl''s particulars without knowing what your impact would be. The suggestion to say, ''I would love to be considered if another position like that comes open in the future.'' is a fantastic one because it doesn''t actually have anything to do with Other Girl and shows your initiative.

I hope that helps and again, I am sorry that you are going through this.

Thank you, these were all the things I was thinking when I read Smurfy''s original post. I sympathize, Smurfy, I do but it''s impossible for us to know what is really going on here. I do think that since it bothers you, you should tactfully find a way to bring it up to him. You can do it. I hesitate from giving corporate advice here but we are all responsible for our own careers. If I was qualified and intrested in an advanced position I would continuously have the conversation with my manager about my growth opportunites. It''s possible that they don''t know you are interested and in my experience the promotions I have recieved have never come as a surprise to me. There are a million possibilites.

 

[charbie]

Sorry this happened to you! I know the frustration. I think we are about the same age, so trying to be on a career pathh that is going up is exciting to both of us!

One thing I have realized recently in my own job is that you really do have to be vocal about what you see yourself doing in the future. I love my job. Seriously love it. And I''m not afraid to admit that I am really darn good at it. Because of this, my boss sees me as an invaluable part of the team, and if she were to put me up for a promotion, it means she loses me as a part of her team, which she wouldn''t want.

Last year tho, I was presented with the opportunity to go to a new company and further my career. Once I told my boss, she said she wished she knew about it sooner, since she would have been able to help me begin my path up. Long story short, I left, but then came back 6 mos later, and now my boss has been giving me new projects and spoken with our corporate team about keeping me in mind for other positions.

The reason I say all of this is because we do control our own destiny. I don''t know how things work where you are at, but make sure your boss is aware of where you see yourself going. Just because you may have had a conversation at hire about using your degree in the future doesn''t mean your boss even remembers it, I know my boss is way too busy and she forgets a lot of those things unless I bring it up.

 

[wannaBMrsH]

Charbie, this is PERFECT advice.

One of the most frustrating things in my position is when people come to my office to complain that so and so got xx over them. I ask if their supervisor was aware that they were interested and they mention some obscure conversation from months before. As my husband likes to say, "All comments are null and void after 7 days."

Some other things that are very important to keep in mind, especially as women in the workforce, are:

1) Our colleagues are NOT our friends. I have an amazing boss, she has the most inspiring work ethic and she really supports her team to a fault. We have lunch on a regular basis, and she even came to my DW wedding. I have a hard time sometimes remembering that she is my boss and not my friend and I''ve slipped up and said a thing here or there that I really regret, because I forget that while we are friendly, she IS NOT my BFF and I need to remain professional.

If we really want to advance, we need to come here to vent, show off our rings, exchange amazing wedding stories and ask if DH has any weird quirks, NOT ask the "friend" across the hall. That has a way of really coming back and no one wants the reputation for being the office gossip.

2) DON''T be the entertainment. There is one woman at our office that always tells us about Tiger''s latest mistress, who''s in what bowl game, what TV shows are being cancelled, or what actor is going into rehab. She even prints out articles sometimes for us to read. While the stories are entertaining, I notice that no one else has that kind of time! We''ve spoken to her manager several times about managing the team bandwidth. She is definitely a nice and sweet lady, but I am not looking to date her. I would prefer that she rock her job instead of the gossip sites.

3) DO let people know your talents. I am not talking about drinking contests, but definitely let your colleagues know things that are going well that you are proud of. When I passed my HR certification test, I had a celebratory HH and invited everyone in the office. I sent an email out to the entire site and thanked them for their support (and throwing their weirdest problems at me!) because it really helped me pass the test the first time and I wouldn''t have done it without them. I had a great turnout and even the president showed up and picked up the tab! I got a promotion two months later for a position I didn''t even know they were creating because I was the only one on the team that was certified. I''ve known so many people that get ahead by letting others know what they are working on.

Smurfy, I don''t know you well enough to know if you do or don''t do any of the above, these are just things that I come across alot both in my work and socially and sometimes I really wish I could sit some women down and explain that they have the pedigree (education, experience, skills, etc.) but they lack the soft skills to catch themselves from trapping themselves into a box they don''t want to carry forever, or at least, until you go to a different company.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 12/30/2009 12:16:48 PM
Author: noelwr
slutting herself up the corporate ladder?

unfortunately there are just some promotions that are completely beyond me and obviously have nothing to do with experience or ability, and more of who is kissing whose ass.

Right. She must have slept with the boss, that''s why she got promoted and Smurfy didn''t.

Who says that type of thing anymore?

Smurfy: you''ve had a lot going on in your personal life this year (wedding, your DH''s employment or lack thereof, etc.), and I can''t help but wonder if maybe you talked a lot about your wedding or other issues at work and maybe your supervisor wasn''t sure you were up to taking on additional work or responsibilities and that is part of why you didn''t receive the promotion? This is purely speculation on my part. However, I know how exciting it is to be planning a wedding, and when you spend so much of your time with people at work there is a tendency to talk about that type of thing a lot, it''s hard not to! Just my .02. Mrs. H makes a really good point about remembering that your co-workers aren''t your friends, but competition, even though you may be on very friendly terms in the office.

 

[tlh]

I don''t really understadn what you mean when you say " i keep the team in good spirits" -- I don''t really see how that is an asset or worthy of a promotion.

I second charbie in being vocal about your destiny - because you need to fight for what you want. These people aren''t your friends, even if you are "friendly". Plus monarch brings up a valid point - if you were talking about your wedding or doing wedding related things at work... they may not have seen you- like you see yourself.

This girl may be a hard worker, but she also came to YOU for help. Did anyone know this? She may be one of those quiet and almost under the radar types, but may have been more vocal about her wants and desires. My husband DOES NOT socialize at work. He doesn''t talk really at all. He isn''t rude, but he does NOT mix business and pleasure. He takes on extra projects and helps out coworkers and works hard. He doesn''t take part in water cooler chat of "what did you do this weekend". He isn''t rude or standoffish, does say good morning - but recognizes he has a job to do. I''m more the- how was your weekend - bla bla blah nice-eties. So sometimes it is a matter of personality. But I can say, I''m smart and a darn hard worker, but I learned at a previous employer that being seen chit chatting, even though I got my job done, well - and faster than others - and still had time to take on more tasks, because I was better at managing my time... it still came across like I was being well - lazy... because I had the capacity to do EVEN MORE. That never occured to me, because I was so much younger.

I now make it a point to limit conversations, and stay in my desk area... and when people come by to chit chat, try to be polite but brief. I''m a more natural talker - so this doesn''t come naturally for me. But truth is... office cheerleaders don''t really get that far in their career.

So maybe I just misunderstood you - but I would worry less about keeping people''s spirits up... and just keep you nose clean, and let your priorities and goals be clear...without bringing up the other girl.

But- vent wise... I can see how that totally burns your butt! Sucks when someone who appears less competant and less qualified gets the position you covet. Just remember you have control of your destiny... so take it on like a bull!

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Date: 12/31/2009 11:07:44 AM
Author: tlh
I don''t really understadn what you mean when you say '' i keep the team in good spirits'' -- I don''t really see how that is an asset or worthy of a promotion.

I just thought I''d clarify on this When someone on the team finished a particularly challenging project, I offer them a congratulations or tell them I admire the job they did on it. Usually this results in other team members following suit. It makes that person feel good and everyone else as well. I''ve actually talked with my boss about this and we both agree that when people feel they are doing a good job on a regular basis, they are more likely to keep up that level of getting things done fykmim

As for talking about the wedding, I left that at home (well aside from checking on pricescope). The only time I mentioned it was for the time off and when I came back one lady mentioned that they looked at our wedding pictures online. Her and I are friendly so she asked before hand if any would be available to look at and I gave her the site. This resulted in congratulation emails and that''s about it. There was one situation where a girl was terribly sick a week before the wedding so I politely emailed her about keeping her distance for a couple days so I didn''t get sick for the wedding and she had no problem with that. I wouldn''t have said anything if she hadn''t been sneezing and coughing all over my desk, meh.

Anyhow, I have a meeting with my boss on tuesday so I will ask for more projects and see what happens.

 

[tlh]

Thinking of ya, and I hope your meeting went well.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

How did the meeting go?

 

[Smurfysmiles]

It went well, sorry I didn''t update earlier! I guess he gave the other girl the position because he had a bigger project he would rather have me and another employee who know the system better working on over the next 3 months and that he felt that I would be challenged working on this. I found out that the other co worker was actually let go but will be helping with some small tasks 3 months from now from home to help move the company to another company who bought us out, so in the end I ended up with the better deal. Regardless in 4 months nobody will have jobs lol so I dunno, I guess it is bittersweet news? But my boss insisted he would write me a good recommendation letter before I left. just goes to show you not to assume anything until you have all the facts, although based on the very little I knew at the time last week, it was pretty frustrating you know?

 

[emeraldlover1]

Date: 1/5/2010 5:15:19 PM
Author: Smurfyimproved
It went well, sorry I didn''t update earlier! I guess he gave the other girl the position because he had a bigger project he would rather have me and another employee who know the system better working on over the next 3 months and that he felt that I would be challenged working on this. I found out that the other co worker was actually let go but will be helping with some small tasks 3 months from now from home to help move the company to another company who bought us out, so in the end I ended up with the better deal. Regardless in 4 months nobody will have jobs lol so I dunno, I guess it is bittersweet news? But my boss insisted he would write me a good recommendation letter before I left. just goes to show you not to assume anything until you have all the facts, although based on the very little I knew at the time last week, it was pretty frustrating you know?

I''m so confused. So, the woman the vent was about, that got promoted, was actually fired because the company got bought out? And is it true that you won''t have a job in 4 months? I''m so sorry!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

So sorry to hear about this latest development Smurfy. Is there any chance of transferring over to the new company when the transition happens? If not, or if you''re not interested in doing that, may I suggest you start looking for a new position now? Because you''re contract you''re likely to not get severance when they let you go, though you''d still be eligible for unemployment. It''d be wise to have something in the hopper for when you''re done at your current company.

Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Well I knew the company was being bought out, we all did. We just didn''t know it would happen so fast. I''ve been looking at what is out there on my lunch breaks (everyone here is doing this right now lol) so hopefully I can find something by the time april rolls around.

 

[tlh]

Oh, I''m sorry smurfy. But I''d definately take your boss up on the written recommendation. Those go a LONG way. Also, see if he''d be willing to be contacted as a reference too... couldn''t hurt. Try to see if you can get anything for your portfolio. I wish you the best. What crummy news. Again, I''m sorry.

 

[katamari]

I am also so sorry to read this, Smurfy. I am really rooting for life to get easier for you and DH. Any chance that you could get an additional degree or certificate that would help you in your line of work? I know that more student loans may not be enticing, but if you are able to keep steadier work at a higher pay, it is really worth it in the long-run. Since the job market is so tight where you live, it might be best to do whatever you can to out-resume everyone else either through credentials or qualifications.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

Thank you for thinking of me guys, I am spending most of my day getting my resume and portfolio going, doing a couple extra pieces of work to add to my graphics and redoing my webpage. Also will probably take a couple online tests that are free to get css and html certified finally lol