WWYD?

[totallybonafido]

I have recently been passed over for promotion, in favour of someone less experienced, with form for bullying a previous direct report. This person will now be my boss.

I strongly suspect that she will be taking mat leave in the near future, and if she does, someone will need to cover for her. I suspect that they may ask me to cover. WWYD? Would you do it?

I would do it for the new job title and whilst in the acting up role
apply for other jobs and hope to get one before she returns. I would be asking for a salary increase though or I wouldn't do it.

I would wait and see. I would make sure all meetings with manager I keep notes. Any actions/ deliverables/timetables I’d write back to her “thanks for your call earlier just to confirm we agree x, Y and z”

Be a “model employee” but don’t take any crap: if new manager is dumping on you, blaming you; undermining you in meetings or putting you in tight spots - call it out right away, calm and professional.

If you are expected to cover her mat leave you say “fine but I will need to be paid to act up to your level and I’d like that formalised in writing by HR. Also you will need to hire someone to cover my role starting six weeks before you go on leave, and you will need to train them before your mat leave starts. Otherwise no thank you I don’t want to act up; you can hire someone else since I was already judged not strong enough for your job, why would I be able to cover you with a new temp person? That makes no sense.”

They cannot make you cover a higher seniority role.

I would also start job hunting in case it all goes Pete tong!

Would you get acting up pay?

No idea yet, it’s hypothetical. I definitely wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t being paid for it!! The experience would be good, but I already object to having to report to this person at all, to cover for her when I was judged not good enough - i don’t think i can swallow that. I’m already job hunting but it’s slow at the moment!

I agree with all the previous posters. In military terms its called "keeping your powder dry" and plan your campaign accordingly. You dont want to be there as her report when she returns from her maternity leave and has to get back up to speed. Meantime dumping everything on you. Every relevent communication email them to yourself so you have a record. Putting up with a shitty situation while knowing you are planning a way out can be very satisfying. If/when you apply for other roles dont however rubbish your current employer at interview or give any hint that all is not rosy. You are "seeking new challenges".