It’s always a big gut punch when you think you’ve put in the time and worked hard to move up with a company…

And then those expectations are shattered in a heartbeat when you’re told otherwise.

Ouch!

That really sucks…

The woman who wrote this story recently had to deal with this and she didn’t hold back about how much this upset her.

Get all the details below.

Sick of being required to suck up and play their games.

“I work in distribution for a large multinational corporation.

It’s not a job in the warehouse, it’s an entry level office job supporting operations. I’ve been here two and a half years, get rave reviews every year from my supervisor whom I love. I barely make a living wage and work afternoons / nights (1-11:30 PM, M-Th).

My supervisor recently took another role. As the senior member of my team, I figured I’d be allowed – hell, ENCOURAGED – to interview for her role. I go above and beyond, I support other departments, I lead a big committee and am active in others.

It sounds like she’s ready for the next step.

My actual job doesn’t take the full 10 hours a day and I’m hourly so I don’t really have an issue doing extra stuff. I’ve learned a lot about leadership and have absolutely outgrown my role and am ready for more.

I sat down with my supervisor to see when her job would be posted and what I needed to do to internally apply.

“Well…” she said, “management doesn’t think you’re ready.” She pulled up some “talent equation” garbage graph and said, “you need to check off every single box here. Management wants a ‘ready now’ leader, and we think you’re not there yet.”

What the hell?

I was flabbergasted.

As I said before, I go above and beyond, I lead committees, delegate, etc. I do leadership activities and special projects, just not directly in my role.

I said to her, “but you’re the one who told me people – ESPECIALLY women – don’t even apply to jobs they are qualified for because they think they have to check every box.”

She agreed, but then said, “well… we think you just haven’t been in front of enough leaders yet.”

She knows what’s really going on here.

Basically – I haven’t kissed enough upper management rear ends. I’m not even ON the shift all the suits work on, but I am expected to “schedule connects” with senior leadership to “talk about my development.”

I told her I work nights, and she said “you overlap with management’s schedule for an hour and a half a day, you can just come in, put your stuff away and go right into some connects!”

Her feedback had nothing to do with my actual role, because I have gotten no complaints – only rave reviews – about how well I do my job. It was all about “upper management knowing you better.”

They DO know me. As I said, I run an important committee that has some senior leaders on it. I’m visible, I don’t just hide, and I get along well with people.

But I just haven’t kissed enough rear ends. That’s how you get promoted here – not knowing your role completely, not going above and beyond, but kissing rear ends.

This is sad, but true…

I know that’s kind of the hidden expectation in corporate America but I can’t believe my company basically said the quiet part loud.

I’m not allowed to interview for this position or even apply. My day shift counterpart was told the same thing. She was going to apply anyway but was told sternly that it “would not be in her best interest.”

I’m so tired of playing games just for the chance at a better life. That’s why I want the promotion, because I’m broke and barely making ends meet.

She’s pretty over all of it.

I also want day hours because my relationship is stagnating due to never seeing my boyfriend. I’m not passionate about my job or company, I just want to live and not have to worry as much about money.

Why is it like this?

Why can’t I just do a good job and show I can learn the role?

Why do I have to crawl through the mud and play stupid games just to survive?

Shows how much companies value the actual work people do…”

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a woman whose HR department advised her to quit if she was that unhappy, so she did and found herself in a role reversal years later.

Here’s what folks had to say on Reddit.

This person shared their thoughts.

And another reader weighed in.

This is a shame.

It sounds like she needs to get her resume updated and start looking for a new job.

Good luck to her!

She’s getting screwed over and she knows it!

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who works fast and helps her coworkers, but is met with disapproval from her supervisor because of this practice