I’m sitting here, trying to process what just happened. A couple months ago, I was thrilled — my performance had earned me a merit raise, and my boss was advocating for my promotion. It felt like everything was falling into place after so much hard work. But today, that dream was put on hold. I was just told that my promotion is delayed because I’ve supposedly been “unprofessional” over the last several months. The timing couldn’t be more disheartening.
What stings the most isn’t just the setback, but the context. This conversation came shortly after I reached out to my boss for advice on dealing with two colleagues who have been harassing me. I wasn’t angry; I didn’t storm into my boss’s office. I simply wanted help, guidance on how to handle the situation, thinking I was doing the right thing by speaking up. Instead, it feels like my career is now being punished for their behavior.
I’ve been professional, I’ve worked hard, and I’ve followed the channels I thought were there to protect employees like me. I’ve even met and exceeded everything asked of me. Additionally, I’ve faced ‘complaints’ in the past that I’m working too hard and our assistant director was worried I would ‘burn out’. But this isn’t the first time I’ve heard of this happening either. I’ll be the third woman to leave this office within a year. The pattern is clear…
