h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

rant alert...

as you may all know I do a soul sucking job (for which I get ok money, it has to be said) with zero responsibility at a grade which is slightly below Amoeba for my company.

I have been there more than 6 years - I was the first of the local staff to be taken on,and for a Looooong time did my job (I'm called a Sales Assistant) on my own. Gradually we have expanded from the 7 people when I started (mostly Korean guys,managers) to around 41 people. Of which 4 are now sales assistants (trained by yours truly) of whom the longest has been there for nearly 2 years.

When I started I was told by the old MD that after 4 years at the company (and not totally sucking at my job) promotion was on the cards. First probably to Senior Assistant, but most likely to Assistant Manager.

anyway, the 3rd local staff to be taken on was the Quality Assurance guy - also at assistant level.

He and I have been separately pushing for promotion for at least 3 years.

he got made Team Leader about 18 months ago - and since then I have had regular face to faces with my line manager about how I can get promoted (of all the assistants I earn the most, by about €15,000 a year)

The only way for me to increase my wages is to go up a grade since, according to the company I get paid well over the odds as an assistant.

I handle our biggest account worldwide - we aim to sell them 1,000,000 pieces this year worldwide - and all but about 100,000 will pass through my hands. We just got a supplier award from them, mostly due to good communication via our office - where I am he single interface.

About 2 weeks ago I pointed out to the manager that I should have been promoted 2 years ago for these reasons:

1) I am effing brilliant at my job
2) I have been there 6 years
3) I am effing brilliant at my job
4) if I get paid so much at this grade, I am worth being promoted
5) I am effing brilliant at my job
6) it gives the other (almost exclusively female) assistants something to work up to
7) I am effing brilliant at my job

I pointed out, yet again, that the company is sexist in an institutionalised way, and that if they are not careful, they will lose their best staff. And btw, how come a guy got promoted and not me,when he has been there a year less...

As answer: it's not fair to promote me when there are 2 or 3 other good assistants... (who have all been there just 2 years...) and that the (next to useless) HR manager has been tasked with working out a programme to cover this...

which is bollocks, but let's gloss over that

on tuesday I was off all day due to the mamogram and severe lack of motivation.

On Wednesday the first email I read was from HR asking us to congratulate 2 Korean managers for promotion, pluss the Assistant guy who is now Assistant Manager

my manager and the MD have been literally crossing the street to avoid me since then...

today there was cake and champagne to celebrate - nearly stuck in my throat, but local guy has worked hard, so I can't begrudge him a promotion - and had to sit through a speech by the MD about how great he is and how he was so pleased at last to promote a local assistant to Manager level and how he had wanted to do this for this guy 2 years ago...

All of the women (all assistant level...) were looking at me by this stage, some ready with Kleenex just in case and most of them patting me on the arm.

I am deeply insulted most of all, but I am so angry I'm just about ready to resign. there is no point - I am obviously either crap at my job, too old or maybe,just maybe I don't have enough willies. My manager, after I finally pinned him down, agreed to see me this afternoon. He first spoke with the MD who made some comments. We couldn't find an office to talk in, so we went into the MDs office - he couldn't get out of there quick enough, petrified that I want to needle him.

I will, but later - he's in Korea next week.

Turns out that 2 of the women mentioned to him today that it's odd not to see women getting promoted, he expressed surprise that we think that...

apparently when my manager was speaking to him, he called in the general manager and the HR guy and told them to work out a plan to "promote" me and 2 of the other sales assistants - basically they want to rename us as Sales Specialists.

WTF?

Even more insulting, especially since the others haven't even been there 2 years yet (although I would push for them to be called that - we don't assst, we actually manage accounts) our young guy is not included in this, but only because he's only been there 6 months.

I have said that I won't take that - I'd rather be called an assistant. I told him that I expect to have the word Manager somewhere in my title.

I'm thinking that Assistant Manager -Key Accounts might be ok? What do you reckon?

In any case - no progress, but at least I have made my case. Again.

grrrrrrrrrrr

Rant away dear, I'll join you.

If your manager and MD have been trying that hard to avoid you, they know something ain't right. That gives you a degree of power and leverage.

What is holding you back from quitting and finding another job where you might (or might not) get better treatment?

Oops, almost forgot the

Sorry Sho, but we talked about this earlier, remember ? My friend left the Japanese company she worked for for four years now, started working for anEnglish company in January, goes to see her boss in Newbury once a week If you want to be promoted, change the company, is all I can say.

Sho, I suggest you show your boss a DVD of the film 9-5 and tell him, that's what happens when sexist pigs don't promote women.

Or alternatively, quote a whole load of EU regulations at him and say "See you in Strasburg" Then watch the colour drain from his face

Or get a set of darts and a full length photo of him, you'll feel much better

Start looking elsewhere and meanwhile lovingly prepare your final leaving memo (which you must remember to copy to everyone in the company)

But as well. Jobs can be poo, I know, believe me.

We just had a talk at my friend's house - he works as a computer programmer and his girlfriend is the HR manager of his firm, and she talked about the difference between men and women in the company (With the same background and Job titles)...

I must say - I beleive a large part of it is because Men push themselves faster - A guy would probably have done what you just did after 2-3 years - and get promotes sooner because of it.

Keep pushing - eventually, it will give.


Dancer

Thanks all.

They totally know they are in the wrong. Which is

And I have quite a lot of leverage since they all know that I have already taken one employer to court for unfair dismissal (the company closed, which is ok, but just before they did they fired me. Knowing I was pregnant, which is illegal in Germany. It was very nice to do that,I can tell you - the local rep of the ... B'Elana, help me translate Berufsgenossenschaft please!!... employees association, I guess, was a very nice older lady who deliberately dragged it out so that when the inevitable happened, the compay had to "employ" me until 8 weeks after Gruesome #1 was born )

So, this is my strategy:

1) I am calming down (tanks for the )

2) I am polishing my CV (and I will ask them for a... ah, Zwischenzeugnis... it's a reference that you get from your current employer. Usually you only need that when you're in the running for another job) (yes, and I'll actually look for a new job)

3) I am thinking of a hot, sexy, (and meaningless) which I will insist upon (I think I'll get it - because they will probably think that will shut me up). I really want Intergalactic Space Babe, but I'll settle for something with the words Key Account and Manager in there.

4)er... that's enough for now.

One of the reasons I'm reluctant to change job is that as a "Sales Assistant" I get paid well over the odds. Without a change of title, it is going to be difficult to maintain my current salary. A bit of a catch 22.

Another is that has just landed himself a new job. jobs are notoriously "come and go" although he is rather brilliant at it. His probationary period (during which either side can terminate the employment without notice) is 3 months. So I need that time - although since I have to give 3 months notice, that's not such a big point. He starts on 1st May, so I have time to polish that CV and look around.

Finally, of course, changing jobs is stressful. I have more than enough stress in my life - although obviously w**k is providing a lot of it. It is money for old rope though, at this stage, and easier to stay and take the

Being the stirrer that I am, however, it is going to be nice to see them all walking on eggshells from the moment I ask for the refernce.

I hope that they think it will be too expensive for the to fire their most experienced person. I'm also the one least likely to get pregnant and leave for 3 years. And it is still (thank heavens) quite expensive to fire people here - especially if they just got an award as best supplier

Dancer - I have actually (even though it does go against my female grain) been pushing for this promotion for about 3 years. But I am now hopeful that I have the better cards.

Trying to adopt the que sera sera approach... and the Karma one too. The managers have it coming to them!!


Incidentally, does anyone subscribed to this know what sort of evidence I'd have to present to either a German or European court, to show sex discrimination?

"3) I am thinking of a hot, sexy, (and meaningless) which I will insist upon (I think I'll get it - because they will probably think that will shut me up). I really want Intergalactic Space Babe, but I'll settle for something with the words Key Account and Manager in there."

There must be a word missing. I mean, aren't you always thinking of a meaningless hot and sexy, so that couldn't be it...

And isn't the technical term 'Robo Space-Babe'?

In other news, nil illegitimi corburendum, as they say in Latin.

I don'tknow anything about the legal situation in your case Sho, I guess you'd better get some professional advice there

Is there are German version of the Citizen's Advice Bureau?

probably, Reefgirl...

I'm at the way Mr.P hit the nail on the head with my thoughts...

a bit of meaningless hot & sexy is never far away (from my thoughts)

which reminds me, I haven't seen those nekkid French egg-chasers recently...

ok, egg-chasers are what types call rugby players.

In their turn, rugby players call players kiss-ball players (or did back in the days when I dated a rugby type)

nekkid... well, why not just follow the link...

http://blog.matoo.net/index.php/archives/2003/12/09/dieux-du-stade-unplugged/

Amoung rugby playing types ers are called Girls

I call it Feet-ball...

Or the local Am-Dram society.

RF

Good point, should footballers be made to become members of Equity due to all the acting that goes on on the pitch

Na...Equity is for professional actors

"Ouch! Ouch! Oh my knee! my leg! Ouch! Ouch! Ref...he *kicked* me! Where's me mum?"

RF