Stories of employees being asked to “prove themselves” for a promotion are common, but one case shared online has drawn attention for how openly misleading the process appears to have been. An employee claims their company encouraged months of extra work by implying a promotion was possible, while privately having already promised the role to someone else.
The allegation surfaced in a Reddit post that quickly gained traction, with thousands of users weighing in on what many described as a familiar workplace tactic: stretch an employee’s limits first, explain later. “They made me believe I was in line for a promotion for 6 months to make me work extra when they already promised the position to my colleague,” the employee wrote.
Temporary role came with long-term expectations
According to the post, the situation began when the employee’s manager went on parental leave six months earlier. The employee was asked to step into the manager’s role during that time. “My manager explicitly said after coming back he would not resume his role because he didn’t enjoy it anymore,” the employee wrote, adding that this was known internally.
When the temporary promotion was offered, the message was clear. “They told me I would be offered the position permanently if I performed highly these six months,” the employee said.
Extra work, overtime, and no answers
Believing the role was genuinely within reach, the employee said he took on far more responsibility than before. “I worked very hard and took a loooot of work on, worked overtime and everything,” the post stated. As the six-month period came to an end, the employee repeatedly asked management for confirmation. None came. “Two weeks from my manager’s come back they still didn’t confirmed I was getting the promotion despite me asking many times if I finally ‘earned it’,” he wrote.
Frustrated and confused, the employee decided to contact their manager directly while he was still on leave. “Oh yeah… this other colleague was promised the position”
That conversation, according to the post, revealed the full picture. “Today I called my manager and asked him what’s up and why I didn’t get a confirmation,” the employee wrote. The response shocked them. “He told me ‘oh yeah this other colleague was promised the position when he signed’.”
The manager reportedly explained that the colleague had been told he would get the role once the manager returned, and that the employee’s six months of extra work changed nothing. “So he is the one that is getting the role,” the employee wrote.
“I feel so used also because I worked so hard and delivered way beyond my targets.” In later comments, the employee shared more details. He said he was being paid about 25 percent less than the person whose role he was covering, despite having higher qualifications.
Reddit users urge withdrawal, not revenge
When the employee asked how to “revenge” the situation, most commenters advised against confrontation and instead pushed for self-protection. “Be exactly on time, leave exactly on time. Do what exactly you’re supposed to do and nothing more,” one commenter wrote. Another warned: “Do not under any circumstances train or help the new person doing the job.”
Several users stressed the importance of local labour laws, noting that quitting without notice could be illegal in some countries. Others encouraged the employee to take full parental leave before planning an exit. “Never trust anyone unless it’s written.”
Many commenters framed the experience as a hard lesson rather than a personal failure. “This is why I told my manager I will not be doing extra work before having the position or having a written email,” one user said. “I don’t take my groceries and promise the store I will come back to pay later.” Another summed it up bluntly: “At most places hard work just gets rewarded with more work.”
The employee later said he plans to take their parental leave, look for a new job during that time, and leave once protected notice periods apply. “Also I am such a loser and an idiot for trusting them,” he wrote — a sentiment many commenters pushed back on, saying management behaviour, not employee trust, was the real problem.