Worker Keeps Getting Passed Over For Promotions Because He Keeps Using Company Benefits He's Entitled To
He might actually be sabotaging himself.
TetianaKtv / Shutterstock Some companies have flex-time benefits, which allow non-salaried employees to move their hours around during the week so they can work whenever they'd like, as long as they hit 40 hours at the end of the workweek. However, one worker, described on Reddit, who utilizes this benefit, might be preventing himself from climbing the ranks in the company.
For many, the benefits that a company offers are a big factor in whether they accept a job or not. Health insurance, paid time off, and retirement accounts are all desirable to potential employees. Unfortunately, as this Reddit post indicates, not all companies actually look favorably on employees who use the benefits they offer.
A manager is wondering how to deal with an employee who isn't getting promoted because of how he is using his benefits.
A manager recently posted on Reddit seeking advice on a situation he is facing with one of his employees. He wrote, "I have someone who reports to me, Craig, who's been in the same position for years. Other, comparatively recent hires, have been promoted to senior positions over him, myself included."
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He said that, during year-end reviews, Craig shared that he was frustrated about others getting promoted instead of him. However, the manager explained that he knows exactly why Craig has not yet been moved up, and it has nothing to do with his performance.
The company they work at offers flex-time, an often desirable benefit that lets workers have some flexibility during the week. "Craig likes to front-load his hours towards the beginning of the week, and then basically work a couple of hours on our remote day on Friday, " the manager explained. "He also moves his hours around so that he never uses his sick bank on pre-planned appointments. This then lets him use his accumulated time-off on long vacations throughout the year."
All of this is within company policy, and the user doesn't even mind the schedule Craig has created for himself, but there are a few underlying problems that are keeping Craig from getting the promotion.
While Craig has the freedom to make the schedule he wants, it may actually be holding him back.
The manager explained, "The issue is that we do a lot of customer service, amongst other responsibilities. If something comes up that Craig would typically handle while he's off, I have to reassign it to someone else." While the rest of the team is prepared to handle Craig's responsibilities, he has to continuously be cross-trained on everyone else's roles.
"I don't want to come off as shaming Craig for using the benefits he's entitled to," the manager reaffirmed. "He's allowed to do it, and wouldn't be an issue if he was happy in his role. However, it's harder to keep him as well-rounded as everyone else."
Craig is struggling to stay competitive and grow in his role because his hours don't allow him to deal with the same real-time problems and requests that others in his department do during the hours they work. He's not breaking any rules, but he's not helping himself out, either.
The question becomes, however, should an employee be penalized for prioritizing a work-life balance and utilizing the benefits the company implemented? It would stand to reason that if the use of flex time means not getting promoted, perhaps it shouldn't be an option.
The manager should tell the worker that the company looks down on the use of flex time.
Many suggest that the manager should be straightforward with Craig and tell him that his hours are simply causing him to lack the experience that other employees are getting. One user said, "If he doesn't want to work during the high-demand, more stressful time slots, that is his choice, but he needs to make that choice with full understanding that it is negatively impacting his ability to be promoted."
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Others said the conversation shouldn't be about the hours he chose, but rather about the skills he's missing out on. Another user wrote, "Your conversation and coaching focus should be on the areas where he lacks proficiency. Whether that's caused by the way he strategically plans his time and flex time shouldn't be relevant."
Here's the problem: Experts have made it clear that a work-life balance is essential to health and overall well-being. Somehow, however, that has not been translated to company higher-ups. Being overworked and underpaid should not be a precursor to a promotion.
Surveys have shown that flex work and work-life balance are more important to employees than ever. Unfortunately, in our employer-driven market, anyone who doesn't work harder than they should seems to be penalized. Craig is not doing anything wrong. If he is a good worker, he should be up for a promotion regardless of how he chooses to use his flex time. If using flex time means you can't move up, then the company shouldn't offer it.
The same could be said for unlimited vacation. If a company offers it, then an employee should be entitled to it. We all know it doesn't exactly work out that way, however.
Craig should not have to choose between a flexible working schedule and a promotion. It's as simple as that. Unfortunately, American hustle culture doesn't reward that mentality, and that's the fundamental problem with corporate America.
Kayla Asbach is a writer currently working on her bachelor's degree at the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
