...to think my boss has been unfair?

[Undertone]

I work at a small marketing company of 20 people. I was hired in August 2008 at the same time as another chap (let?s call him G) ? both roles were entry-level (Account Executive), although I already had a year?s experience as an Account Executive at another marketing company. Very quickly I took on a lot of responsibility and gained the trust of the senior management. He, on the other hand, needed baby-sitting through even basic office skills. I am a bit of an Uber-Competitive Swotty Mc Teacher?s Pet, so I felt pretty chuffed that I was leaving this guy in my dust cloud.

I was working under an Account Manager who left in June 2009. The company didn?t replace him, I took over his role, and a couple of months later I brought up in my review that I would like to be promoted to Account Manager (I mean, I was doing the job already ? and very well at that, FFS). Senior management said they would promote me if I proved before the end of the year that I could do x, y and z.

In those five months I worked like a fiend to step up to their challenge. G, on the other hand, was often (3-4 times a week) in 10+ minutes late. He?s one of those laid-back but still-arrogant types. I know I out-performed him in every respect. He didn?t even make any kind of secret about the fact that he was actually thinking of quitting and starting another career.

In December I was told that I?d done a great job, and that as of January 1st would be an Account Manager ? I would even get an 8% pay rise. I had a lovely Christmas celebrating this with my family. It had been a tough end of the year ? plenty of late nights at the office. I was very proud of myself.

So ? I came back to the office this Monday. The MD sat us all down for a chat. At the end he said he had an announcement he was pleased to make; he was promoting me and G to Account Managers!

Later that day I took my line manager (who had been involved in the decision-making) aside for a quiet chat. I said I was confused ? I didn?t know G wanted to be promoted. Line manager said that he thought G had worked hard ? why not promote him? Now at this point I got a bit upset. As far as I was concerned, I had only been promoted because I had been working hard towards specific set goals for a long time. I didn?t see why he deserved it. It made me feel like all that work was for nothing. Line manager got irritated that I was upset, and honestly couldn?t see why I was complaining ? didn?t I just get given the promotion I was after?

So come on ? AIBU to be angry? Or should I just shut up and sit down?

abitchilly - well - I think I'm up for a bit of a kicking because I do sound like an arrogant Career-zilla in my OP. But thanks for the support!

You are valuable to the company. They think you are so good you are getting a promotion and a bigger pay packet.

Enjoy it - My OH is saying a painful goodbye today to a colleague who is a real grafter but made redundant (Managing Director didn't like him).

You keep proving you are brilliant, you sound like a grafter, but also show your fun side at work too.

Well done. Stamp your feet tonight then get out the champers.

What can I say - promotions are made for many reasons, not all down to pure hard work and talent. There may well be other reasons that G got promoted - in an ideal world, performance reviews would be ''fair'' and ''transparent'' - but who thinks we live/work in an ideal world?

In the end, you got what you wanted, don't let this ruin it. As others have noted, there will be a day that G trips up - if he is not as good his promotion would indicate - and then you can be safe in the knowledge that what goes around comes around.

I do understand your frustration - you've worked up a storm for months and now it seems that your hard work hasn't been recognised or appreciated.

I think in cases like this you just have to remind yourself that you put the work in and you got the reward. It does sting that somebody else was rewarded when you can't see any reason why, but don't let that diminish what you've achieved - well done by the way!

If G really is a slacker, they'll pick him up eventually - if his role and responsibilities have changed to those of management type, I can't imagine he'll be able to sit back and relax without being noticed sooner or later.

I have a colleague who mucks about on Facebook and Youtube at work, is at least 15 minutes late 2 - 3 times a week, makes constant basic errors in her work, and nobody ever picks her up on it. I sit opposite her and I can bloody well tell she isn't working when she hasn't picked up the phone in 3 hours, her in-tray never empties and she's grinning away at the computer monitor. She may be working harder than I realise behind the scenes, but since I generally end up picking up her slack at the end of the week, I sort of doubt it. I've just learned to keep to myself and do what I have to do.

As long as you still get your promotion it's not the end of the world. However, I understand why you are annoyed. I also smell a whiff of sexism in the workplace - would your colleague have been expected to prove himself before being promoted? Presumably not, as he has been regardless, without asking for it, or showing the competancies required to progress.

One wonders whether you would have been promoted in those circumstances...

(I'm obviously assuming OP is female...)

I'm not saying I wouldn't be pissed off if I was in you position, but IME it isn't important how hard you work, it how well you work that counts. Maybe he is getting good results without trying as hard as you.

Be happy with your promotion, and don't think about him.

i think your protestations will sound like sour grapes.frankly up to the company whom they promote.actually you were not passed up in favour of this man,you got your promotion.well done on recognition of your efforts.but dont stew about someone else promotion

I think you should do the latter, shut up and sit down. You got what you wanted, be happy.

But if nobody speaks up about things in the work place that aren't right, then things continue to happen that shouldn't.

I know we don't live in a perfect world but I still believe in speaking up.

In a tactful and considered manner of course. Trying to avoid saying 'snot faaaaaair' - even when that's what I want to say.

Mayby G is more of a natural and doesn't need to work as hard as you?

In fact i would go as far as to say there is a fine line being confident and being conceited.

My dp works with a man who sounds similar to the op, thinks he is better than dp, always trying to find fault and report him.

As long as you are not suffering as a result of Mr G and management are happy with him, its none of your business.

in fairness,op you are not an impartial judge.so mooooooooove on

YANBU, I would be really pissed off too.

BUT. You sound quite type a, if you don't mind me saying so, and I suspect it wouldn't sit easily with you if you'd both been promoted and you hadn't done much to deserve it either.

At least you know you put everything into getting that promotion, and you have a whiter-than-white reputation. That should be sort of a reward in itself.

And you never know what will happen in the future - they've clocked what you've done and what your colleague has (or hasn't) done, I'm sure you'll be rewarded again. Congratulations

YABU. Easy to happen and for all we know, we'd all react the same, but what is happening here is that you are jealous about his "free" promotion and letting it spoil your promotion. Challenge yourself, push yourself, but stop being in competition with this guy and the world - it doesn't matter and can only make your life more difficult.

I think you should be proud of yourself for working so hard, for your managers seeing your management potential, and for getting an increase. The rest doesn't matter.

Btw, the "often late" thing is irrelevant in many cases. In my last job I was 20 - 30 mins late MOST days (nanny unreliable re starting time!), yet I know for a fact my bosses didn't care (I discussed this with them as I felt so guilty). What colleagues might not have known was that I worked through most lunches, and often worked until late at night (at home) when I had bad deadlines. Without having all the info, you can't judge other people only because they start later / leave earlier / look more relaxed.

Well I don't think yabu.

In fact it could well be sexism - wouldn't be the first time a woman has to work a lot harder to get same treatment as a man.

So although obviously I don't know it is sexism - in your position I would be slightly irritated.

But lesson for the future - don't ever speak to your manager when angry - think about it first . . .

doh,how is man and woman both receiving equal promotion sexist?had she been overlooked that may be sexist.but receiving equal treatment to a man isnt cause to visit a lawyer

May be he is better at sucking up to bosses. Wouldn't be the first time people been promoted for that.

You need to try and let it go and move on. You haven't been overlooked so that is good news.

I would be pissed off too though

I am not suggesting she visits a lawyer.

But a man doing considerably less than a woman but getting the same promotion is possibly sexist.

Would you seriously not mind if someone did a lot less work than you but got the same pay? That would piss me off and has done in the past.

only the op thinks man has no merits.her bosses promoted him.sounds like sour grapes

I used to work with someone who totally coasted, did lots of unethical things, and generally took the piss.

Initially I complained vociferously. I was accused of jealousy! No-one likes a moaner.

So I decided to pick my battles, write everything down and then say something. Some notice was taken, but not much happened. It was very frustrating.

In the end though it became so obvious. He was strongly "encouraged" to resign at the end.

YANBU to be peed off about this. But I would carry on doing a good job and pay no attention. These things will out in the end. If he too has a promotion, presumably he will have more responsibility. Coasting will show!

none of your business.

do not moan. do not say another word. continue to work hard.

his alleged lack of work will let him down eventually.

YABU, you got the promotion and payrise offered? Then their other staffing decisions are none of your business.

How does his promotion affect yours?

Well done on your promotion - enjoy some champagne (or credit crunch cava?) tonight.

I know a guy who was asked at an interview board why he wanted to be promoted. He replied 'Every time a promotion list comes out, I always hear people saying "How did that idiot get promoted?" Well, I would like to be 'that idiot' this time round!'

He got promoted.

I can understand when you are in a competitive environment, it is a pain to see others getting promoted who you don't think deserve it, but you have to get to a stage when you live your own life.

I haven't read the whole thread so forgive me if this is irrelevant or already been said but AM's look after customers and bring in new business (or they did in ex-h's co when that was his job title) - you don't know he didn't keep/bring in even just one contract that justified his promotion.

Its soooo frustrating when you work your arse off and those around you achieve the same without seemingly putting in the work, but you don't know what actually went on.

Put it out of your head and concentrate on proving them right for promoting you.

Well done, btw

IME getting ahead in business is 50% down to hard work and 50% down to office politics/playing 'the game'.

And getting narky and upset in front of your boss because he has made a decision that you disagree with, which has nothing to do with you in the first place, is not good office politics.

I know a few people who are very ambitious and hard working but struggle to get ahead solely due to the fact that people don't like their attitude/they rub their boss up the wrong way.

My advice would be to suck it up, continue to work hard, and concern yourself with what you are doing and not anyone else.