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View Full Version : Am I crazy for NOT wanting a promotion?!!


WorkerBee2006
12-13-2006, 03:06 PM
So here is my dilemma. I work for a large insurance company and I work on a small team of 10 people. I happen to have the most seniority on the team. I have my annual performance review coming up in January and my supervisor is leading me to believe that he is going to promote me to official "senior" status, thus I would basically be his right hand man (well..woman in this case).

This all sounds great, however, I have a terrible supervisor. Complete LOSER. He's immature, lazy, pushes work on anyone he can, doesn't really care about the people he supervises, is chauvinistic and unprofessional (he is 29 and had an affair with our 19 year old summer student, which he clearly initiated). Last week he was stressed about our reviews (the only real work he does all year) and yelled in frustration "If I don't get a raise in January at my review, I'm blaming it all on you guys!!!!" He doesn't care one bit about the team itself except how his own career/reputation is affected by our performance. He doesn't bat an eye when we're all up to our ears in work with deadlines to meet. He only cares when his boss makes a fuss and gets on his case. He does nothing and gets paid a hell of a lot more than the people actually doing the real work and then has the audacity to complain that he's "underpaid" and "has no money" (did I mention he lives with mom and dad and mom cooks ALL his food and does ALL his laundry and he has NO responsibility at home? Yeah, that's almost as annoying as everything else).

His unprofessionalism is quite astounding. (BTW, I have personally and formally complained with no improvement). The point is that he is a shady character and can't be trusted. Thus, if I become his right hand person, I'll basically be his bitch - even more than I am now. I don't know if $20 more on my paycheck and a new cheesy worthless title is really worth all the stress and crap I'll have to deal with. I don't plan on making insurance my life's work and I see myself leaving the company in approx one year's time for greener pastures. There is another member of my team who would be PERFECT for the senior position and I think he could deal with it better than I could. I'd like to see him get it.

Am I crazy for not wanting this?! How do I tell my supervisor I don't want it?!?!

and1grad
12-13-2006, 03:13 PM
As someone who is the senior member of the group, dont the other members pretty much defer to you anyway? Why do you not want this position? It sounds more like you're afraid of being perceived in the same manner as the manager you're talking about than that you dont feel like you could handle the position. I agree about the pay not equaling the extra hassle but is that the primary of what you could gain from this position? Also, having some sort of management experience, even if only for a yer, looks good on a resume.

wordsmith
12-13-2006, 03:22 PM
I also was bumped up to a position right underneath a miserable excuse for a boss. He's on the up and up, not shady, but he sucks in most other regards.

But I'm not really under any more or less stress due to him than I was before I became editor. So it doesn't really affect anything, and I might as well be getting marginally more pay.

CTGirl
12-13-2006, 06:52 PM
You're not crazy at all. This guy sounds like a complete waste of human flesh, and I wouldnt want to have any further contact with him either, so I think you'd be making the right decision by turning it down. Your sanity is far more important than your paycheck.

I would recommend making sure they know your reasons for turning down the promotion offer too, so they dont make innacruate assumptions about what your reasons might be.

WorkerBee2006
01-05-2007, 11:24 PM
Thanks for the responses. I completely understand that having the promotion on my resume looks great, not to mention the few extra bucks every two weeks (and I do mean FEW). But I've thought long and hard about this and tried to envision what it would be like working as his sidekick and I don't think I can knowingly walk into the lion's den. I think I may be able to delay things by explaining that I need more time to develop my skills (which is true) before accepting the added responsibilities.

It just sucks that I got stuck with someone who has no desire to mentor me because I really do want to work with a boss who I can learn from and look up to...isn't that kinda the point?

Oh, and speaking again of my slimy boss, our 19 year old summer student from last year is home from school for the weekend and came to the office today for a visit and - surprise! - my horndog boss conveniently took off with her 2 hours early. Barely legal...yuck.

winneythepooh7
01-06-2007, 08:25 AM
Why wait a year? If I were you I'd start looking elsewhere now. Especially if you've made formal complaints and nothing has been done...........why stay in a situation like that when there could be greener pastures NOW.