[seesaw]

So after my crazy co-worker left, my CEO decided to restructure part of our department a bit, giving more responsibility to a younger co-worker with less than half the experience I have, and giving her responsibility for things she has no experience doing. This would be fine if we had a VP of our department to direct her, or if our CEO could direct her, but we don't and he can't. He's basically letting her unofficially take over our department, and it really bothers me, and some others.

He gave her the okay to hire an assistant director, who basically is going to take over her job, and she's going to work on other things and then direct this person, who will also take over supervising the employees that she currently supervises. So all her current employees are pissed because they are basically receiving a demotion by sticking this person in between them and their current boss. Other people at the organization are also quite pissed because pay scale wise, these assistant directors are coming in with very little experience, no where near some of the prestigious resumes as the rest of us, and getting paid just a few thousand dollars difference annually.

So in a 1:1 meeting with my CEO, which I have every couple of weeks, I brought to his attention that this new restructuring bothered me a lot. It seemed to me that my co-worker, let's call her J, was being given a promotion for not being able to do her current job, and was being given another direct report to do her job for her. I also told him that there was clearly a lot of favoritism going on with J and himself. He was including her on committee meetings that he didn't include others on and that were inappropriate considering her position and job responsibilities. That he included her over other staff members who were more appropriate looks very bad. He also sits with her at every performance of our orchestra, and takes her to every event with him. He is married and 46, she is married and 28. He goes into her office to talk to her a few times a day. He has been to my office all of twice in a year. She has like 5 years of experience in the field, I have 15 years of experience.

On top of all this clear favoritism, I told him that I was a little irritated that I had submitted my resume for the VP job four months ago and not received any communication about it. Meanwhile, I hear in department meetings that no resumes have been received for the VP position. So that makes me think mine has been ignored completely. And that's insulting. Considering my wealth of experience and having worked at some very prestigious places, I have a lot to bring to our organization, and all the things I have achieved here are being ignored, while another co-worker is getting promoted and mentored and groomed while failing at her job.

He responded to me that J is not being favored over others. He said that she has been here 3 years, and he doesn't want to lose her so he's thinking about her career. To me that was a smack in the face. Since when does the CEO care about an individual employee's career?! Especially one that is not advancing on her by her own accomplishments? What about all the other employees we've lost over the past year? He didn't care to change around their positions so they wouldn't get bored and leave? Furthermore, what about me and my career?With where I am at my career, I can't afford to stay here in this position very much longer or I won't be able to move up. Doesn't he care about that? Especially when I'm producing so much more revenue than her?

So then, after our meeting, he sends me an email thanking me for feeling comfortable sharing my concerns with him and he will think about what I've said. Then, the next day, I ask him if I can move into the window office that a former co-worker had that has been vacant since she left. His response was no, they have other staffing needs that they need that office for. Well, if I move into it, that will leave my office open. My asking for the office was a political strategic move. I'm not really unhappy with my office, but the other office is right next to his and is actually near the rest of my department. The fact that he denied my request shows me where I stand. I started sending out resumes immediately after that response.

Well then, yesterday (Sunday) at 8:30pm, I finally got an email from the headhunter we hired to find a new VP. They asked me to select a time from a list for a phone interview as the first step in the process to my application for the VP position. You know, while appreciate that he heard me and wants to give me a chance to interview, I feel like it's a slap in the face that as a current employee here, I have to go through the outside search firm first. He's perfectly okay promoting J into a newly created position, but can't be bothered to ask me for my resume and set up an interview with the search committee for me, instead I have to do a phone interview first.

I haven't responded to the search firm's email yet. I am honestly really insulted by it. Like, after 4 months now you're contacting me, and it's obvious you're only doing it because my CEO said to because I complained about it to him, and now you're just trying to placate me. I do not feel like I am being taken seriously and that's what pisses me off and why I don't know how to respond. At this point, telling the search firm to do a phone interview with me was not the right response. It just compounds the problem to me.

I really don't know what to do. I don't know, at this point, how to do a phone interview with these people and not be pissed as hell. Frankly, I almost feel like this position is beneath me. I think I have more talent and skill than most of my coworkers (I'm sorry if that sounds conceited or whatever, but I just have confidence in my skills and my work) and I clearly have more experience.

This rant probably seems like I'm a spoiled brat complaining, but I assure you that is not the case.

Thanks for listening.

Seesaw

[Hobbit House]

Wow, not sure what to tell you? Do I tell you to hold on to a job where it sounds like you're getting craped on or tell you to consider other options... I would definitely consider other options. Sounds like you are not going to get anywhere the way things are structured now anyway.

[unaluna]

Holy carp!

First of all, i would say, yes, do the phone interview. You applied for the job, now go thru the steps. It would be kinda weird i.e., unprofessional, not to.

2nd, Trump is president now, or almost. If the CEO wants to grab J by the ***** and take her to all the meetings and the concerts and she is willing to go, who or what exactly is gonna stop him?

Im glad im old, ie retired age. This sucks. I hope it works out for you. Maybe speaking out as you did will make the CEO think you are ready to file a complaint with the EEOC, and he will realize you should be VP.

[seesaw]

Originally Posted by unaluna

Holy carp!

First of all, i would say, yes, do the phone interview. You applied for the job, now go thru the steps. It would be kinda weird i.e., unprofessional, not to.

2nd, Trump is president now, or almost. If the CEO wants to grab J by the p**** and take her to all the meetings and the concerts and she is willing to go, who or what exactly is gonna stop him?

Im glad im old, ie retired age. This sucks. I hope it works out for you. Maybe speaking out as you did will make the CEO think you are ready to file a complaint with the EEOC, and he will realize you should be VP.

How do you qualify for an EEOC complaint? I know based on disability, but I'm not over 40, so I don't qualify for the ageism suit. My T also mentioned that I might have an EEO complaint.

She told me to reply to his email and outline what we had discussed so I have a paper trail.

Seesaw

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by seesaw

How do you qualify for an EEOC complaint? I know based on disability, but I'm not over 40, so I don't qualify for the ageism suit. My T also mentioned that I might have an EEO complaint.

She told me to reply to his email and outline what we had discussed so I have a paper trail.

Seesaw

No, not ageism or disability. Because of the favoritism. Maybe If you can prove she got hired over you because of hanky panky? I still cant believe you said these things to his face. He must think you have balls of iron. Maybe thats just my perspective, idk.

[Misssy2]

Originally Posted by seesaw

So after my crazy co-worker left, my CEO decided to restructure part of our department a bit, giving more responsibility to a younger co-worker with less than half the experience I have, and giving her responsibility for things she has no experience doing. This would be fine if we had a VP of our department to direct her, or if our CEO could direct her, but we don't and he can't. He's basically letting her unofficially take over our department, and it really bothers me, and some others.

He gave her the okay to hire an assistant director, who basically is going to take over her job, and she's going to work on other things and then direct this person, who will also take over supervising the employees that she currently supervises. So all her current employees are pissed because they are basically receiving a demotion by sticking this person in between them and their current boss. Other people at the organization are also quite pissed because pay scale wise, these assistant directors are coming in with very little experience, no where near some of the prestigious resumes as the rest of us, and getting paid just a few thousand dollars difference annually.

So in a 1:1 meeting with my CEO, which I have every couple of weeks, I brought to his attention that this new restructuring bothered me a lot. It seemed to me that my co-worker, let's call her J, was being given a promotion for not being able to do her current job, and was being given another direct report to do her job for her. I also told him that there was clearly a lot of favoritism going on with J and himself. He was including her on committee meetings that he didn't include others on and that were inappropriate considering her position and job responsibilities. That he included her over other staff members who were more appropriate looks very bad. He also sits with her at every performance of our orchestra, and takes her to every event with him. He is married and 46, she is married and 28. He goes into her office to talk to her a few times a day. He has been to my office all of twice in a year. She has like 5 years of experience in the field, I have 15 years of experience.

On top of all this clear favoritism, I told him that I was a little irritated that I had submitted my resume for the VP job four months ago and not received any communication about it. Meanwhile, I hear in department meetings that no resumes have been received for the VP position. So that makes me think mine has been ignored completely. And that's insulting. Considering my wealth of experience and having worked at some very prestigious places, I have a lot to bring to our organization, and all the things I have achieved here are being ignored, while another co-worker is getting promoted and mentored and groomed while failing at her job.

He responded to me that J is not being favored over others. He said that she has been here 3 years, and he doesn't want to lose her so he's thinking about her career. To me that was a smack in the face. Since when does the CEO care about an individual employee's career?! Especially one that is not advancing on her by her own accomplishments? What about all the other employees we've lost over the past year? He didn't care to change around their positions so they wouldn't get bored and leave? Furthermore, what about me and my career?With where I am at my career, I can't afford to stay here in this position very much longer or I won't be able to move up. Doesn't he care about that? Especially when I'm producing so much more revenue than her?

So then, after our meeting, he sends me an email thanking me for feeling comfortable sharing my concerns with him and he will think about what I've said. Then, the next day, I ask him if I can move into the window office that a former co-worker had that has been vacant since she left. His response was no, they have other staffing needs that they need that office for. Well, if I move into it, that will leave my office open. My asking for the office was a political strategic move. I'm not really unhappy with my office, but the other office is right next to his and is actually near the rest of my department. The fact that he denied my request shows me where I stand. I started sending out resumes immediately after that response.

Well then, yesterday (Sunday) at 8:30pm, I finally got an email from the headhunter we hired to find a new VP. They asked me to select a time from a list for a phone interview as the first step in the process to my application for the VP position. You know, while appreciate that he heard me and wants to give me a chance to interview, I feel like it's a slap in the face that as a current employee here, I have to go through the outside search firm first. He's perfectly okay promoting J into a newly created position, but can't be bothered to ask me for my resume and set up an interview with the search committee for me, instead I have to do a phone interview first.

I haven't responded to the search firm's email yet. I am honestly really insulted by it. Like, after 4 months now you're contacting me, and it's obvious you're only doing it because my CEO said to because I complained about it to him, and now you're just trying to placate me. I do not feel like I am being taken seriously and that's what pisses me off and why I don't know how to respond. At this point, telling the search firm to do a phone interview with me was not the right response. It just compounds the problem to me.

I really don't know what to do. I don't know, at this point, how to do a phone interview with these people and not be pissed as hell. Frankly, I almost feel like this position is beneath me. I think I have more talent and skill than most of my coworkers (I'm sorry if that sounds conceited or whatever, but I just have confidence in my skills and my work) and I clearly have more experience.

This rant probably seems like I'm a spoiled brat complaining, but I assure you that is not the case.

Thanks for listening.

Seesaw

They say when you don't know what to do..do nothing.

However, as an outsider and as someone who has worked in the corporate world her entire career after all your hard work (and mine) you now know where you stand with this company (for whatever reason).

It doesn't even matter if the 2 were sleeping together...WE don't get to make the decisions on who gets promoted..or how promotion decisions are made. And I learned that asking/questioning their decisions only makes my situation worse...always has

However, I do give you a lot of credit for going in and having a voice for yourself..and again, I am sorry that doing confronting your CEO about your disappointments did not give you the satisfaction that you craved. We have to realize...anyone hates being challenged and challenging someone at that level is bascially a joke to them because they have it all worked out and they don't care who they offend as we are all just numbers and replaceable.

I know you can see right thru them and I also see that the phone call and interview that is set up is to appease you and to keep you at a functioning level in your current role which will be in THEIR best interests. Its ALWAYS about their best interests.

Also, being good at what you do can be a fault (meaning they don't want to waste the time training someone else if they don't have to as it is easier to hold you in that one spot).

I was told a long time ago that the thing was that I backed myself against a wall regarding promotions for doing what I did, doing it well and staying in one role for too long. I had an ah ha moment that day when it sunk in that the writing was put on the wall the day that was said to me.

In the olden days..it used to be the longer you stayed in a role and the harder you worked showed...dedication.

All the companies want now are younger more educated people who they can pay less...than the more experienced older employees.

I think it is smart to start searching for another job because after this you are going to continue to be hypersensitive to every little thing that goes on there.

[seesaw]

Originally Posted by Misssy2

They say when you don't know what to do..do nothing.

However, as an outsider and as someone who has worked in the corporate world her entire career after all your hard work (and mine) you now know where you stand with this company (for whatever reason).

It doesn't even matter if the 2 were sleeping together...WE don't get to make the decisions on who gets promoted..or how promotion decisions are made. And I learned that asking/questioning their decisions only makes my situation worse...always has

However, I do give you a lot of credit for going in and having a voice for yourself..and again, I am sorry that doing confronting your CEO about your disappointments did not give you the satisfaction that you craved. We have to realize...anyone hates being challenged and challenging someone at that level is bascially a joke to them because they have it all worked out and they don't care who they offend as we are all just numbers and replaceable.

I know you can see right thru them and I also see that the phone call and interview that is set up is to appease you and to keep you at a functioning level in your current role which will be in THEIR best interests. Its ALWAYS about their best interests.

Also, being good at what you do can be a fault (meaning they don't want to waste the time training someone else if they don't have to as it is easier to hold you in that one spot).

I was told a long time ago that the thing was that I backed myself against a wall regarding promotions for doing what I did, doing it well and staying in one role for too long. I had an ah ha moment that day when it sunk in that the writing was put on the wall the day that was said to me.

In the olden days..it used to be the longer you stayed in a role and the harder you worked showed...dedication.

All the companies want now are younger more educated people who they can pay less...than the more experienced older employees.

I think it is smart to start searching for another job because after this you are going to continue to be hypersensitive to every little thing that goes on there.

Yeah, I think the writing might be on the wall, as you said.

[Misssy2]

Originally Posted by seesaw

Yeah, I think the writing might be on the wall, as you said.

i get it...lived it...but don't give up.
Like you, I was the best at what I did...I helped everyone..I worked copius amounts of hours trying to do my best to help the company...and when the picture was clear to me that it wasn't ME they had in mind to "develop".

That I was just a "worker bee"...I became infuriated. I quit...I made 100k a year.

But, I couldn't take the rejection I was feeling.

Don't let them win...they win if you do what I did...left the job..felt worthless.and went on sSDI for anxiety, substance abuse and depression.

Get another job...and just always strive for more..don't give up.

[notz]

Sounds like he moved your cheese! Sound advice on the paper trail. I would go through the motions of the phone interview for practice and also to not tip your hand that you're thinking about leaving. Blowing off the interview would be a red flare in the sky. Keep the job until you have another one in the bag. I hate favoritism!

[seesaw]

OMG, so a coworker had a similar conversation with my CEO a few days ago and she filled me in on what he said. Apparently he said that J wasn't performing well because of personal problems in her life (and we are all pretty well aware that her marriage is crumbling), but my coworker's response was this is a business, and if she can't produce because of her personal life then she needs to take time off. And she shouldn't be promoted for falling apart at work!

I guess my coworker also said to him that she knows of like 10 people who want to leave because of all this stuff going on, and he said "oh wow, I only knew about two...[another person] and seesaw." So clearly after our discussion, he thinks, even though I didn't say I was wanting to leave or hint at it or anything, that I'm on my way out. So forget trying to keep me. I have no value, worthless...makes me feel really good. He places no value on my skills or experience or accomplishments. I'm just someone who can meet deadlines and keep a calendar, apparently.

When my coworker told me that he was concerned with her personal life I nearly burst into tears of anger. I work EVERY DAY with three debilitating mental health disorders. I don't bring it to work with me. I get everything done that needs to get done. I work from home when I'm sick; I go above and beyond WHILE I struggle to maintain my mental health so I can continue to work. And he promotes this girl and gives her so much authority and responsibility because her marriage is falling apart and because it shows that she is falling apart on the job.

I have put so much work into learning this industry and she knows less than half of what I know and has half of my experience and accomplishments to back it up...yet for some reason, she is preferred over me. The writing is so clearly on the wall. And yes, it makes me feel like ****, and no, I can't get out of here fast enough. The thing is, it's going to be very hard on my system, having to move for another job, and that is basically what I'm going to have to do. I wanted to stick out like 3 years here, but my career is going to go up in flames if I stay here unless something changes, so I've got to get the hell out.

Sigh...I need a hug.

Seesaw

[unaluna]

It never changes. We got a call after 5pm that a managers wife was in labor. Everyone knew where the manager was but no one wanted to call him. So i called his girlfriends apartment, relayed the labor message, he got to the hospital on time, and still i was later quizzed on why i called her apartment, like i was the bad guy. I just shrugged. I did get a primo transfer later, though.

[notz]

Is he thinking with his penis? Or is she a relative or a daughter of a close friend of his or a higher up? I can't think of a good reason to keep her much less promote her. Crazy making! Yes, you get hugs for this garbage!!

[seesaw]

Honestly though, there are some really great positions open that I might be a good fit for, so I just need to sit tight and do what I can to move on quickly.