Job advice - office politics

[bleedingheart]

Okay here is the story...

Employees A and B have loads of experience with company (over 7 years a piece), college degrees in scientific fields and are known to be hard workers.

Employee C has no degree, has a history of switching jobs within the company before C gets fired, is lazy and makes trouble (gossip)...

Being that this is corporate america...Employee C got promoted over A & B....

company is restructured and A and B are put in different division with new boss who is very good... old division keeps C...

Old Division asks new boss if A & B will do work for free that C can't do...new boss says we can call the shots ...we say no...and new boss (very good boss!!) pass on message.

A & B now find out that Old Division wants to restructure and take back A & B ...but this means that they will have to work possibly for C...

None of this is set in stone....but here are the facts:

1. A & B are the only people in the company or in the US who can do the job they do...
2. A & B are aware that they are now being paid less than C because of C's job status.
3. A & B are a bit sick of this shit...but wouldn't mind leveraging things their way...
4. C is an utter idiot and it is becoming apparent that more people are figuring this out...but...this is corporate america...so logic may not apply....and C may be able to keep C's job...in spite of the fact that C is an idiot.
5. A & B dread the idea of working for C even if it means leaving behind the company...but it seems so unfair since they love their job...and are well respected..

What to do ...????

[sniffa]

1. if a and b then c

[fit4life]

2. What to do...

It sounds like A & B should either look at starting their own company, or resign and immediately get hired back as independent contractors at a substantially higher salary.

Or start scouting good locations for C's shallow grave...lol

[bleedingheart]

5. A & B are considering the first option

C isn't worth going to jail over...

[fit4life]

21. Good luck

If you need any help (such as web page development or graphic design), let me know. I've got quite a few contacts in the business.

[Ganja Ninja]

3. Perhaps A & B could push C out a window ...

and make it look like an accident.

[KurtNYC]

4. Firmly assert that A & B are too busy to

take on C's work. Leave C to crash and burn. (If necessary erect brick wall for C to crash into and throw lit match.)

[paula777]

6. Is "C" a Euphemism for Bush?

If not, C has a history of leaving before he gets fired. Maybe A & B should just let him crash and burn like he always does?!

[bleedingheart]

7. no...it is not a euphemism for shrub

C is a person in the company I work for...and is a lazy moron..

[Avalux]

8. Set C up

A and B stay there, work under C if necessary, but set C up and document EVERYTHING. Is C a female?

[HereSince1628]

9. Well, frankly EVERYONE can be replaced

So no matter how a and b feel, higer management will see that as an "attitude" that needs to be squelched if it gets out in the open.

Since C likes to move, if they put you back, work for c's promotion into a new territory. Preferably in a foreign country. The green zone in Bahgdad come to mind.

[bleedingheart]

11. while true...in this case A and B have leverage

their job is highly specialized and it is a job that most people would not enjoy.....

Higher Management promoted C then got mad about A & B's attitude the first time...which is what led to the first restructuring...it was supposed to teach A & B a lesson...but A & B actually got a better boss....and since Mr. Higher Management has now realized that C was a very poor choice...Mr. HM is trying to merge A & B back in order to cover Mr HM's ass......HM may fire C or force C to quit...HM has that reputation....but A & B don't want to go back to the old ways unless C is gone and A & B get the money and promotions they deserve...however more money takes precedence over promotions....titles are meaningless and have no cash value....

[snooper2]

20. A&B need to talk to HM themselves and force C out...

eom

[Susang]

10. I think a lot would depend on A & Bs job prospects outside the company

Is what they do in demand, are they desirable to other companies?

Also, in this restructuring, what would happen to their cool new boss? Would he/she be of any assistance in their situation and does he/she have any pull with upper management?

Personally, I think it would preferable to quit than to go back to work for a boss that is so horrible and incompetent. The people I work with are pretty bad, but they leave me alone and that's the only reason I haven't jumped ship. I stayed with too many bosses like C, trying to make it work, only to find out that "C" had no intention of allowing it to work in the first place and only wanted little obedient worker bees to do his bidding without question.

Stress kills. You spend 8+ waking hours a day at work. You might not like everyone you work with, but to have to work with someone so destructive is just not healthy.

Just my 2 cents. :-)

[bleedingheart]

13. A & B are desirable outside

and do have options...

Cool new boss would have no say...unfortunately...and that sucks...

A & B would most likely find other jobs and then quit... or go to contracting....

[blondeatlast]

12. I'm in a similar situation to a far lesser degree.

You can "assist" C without assisting C.

The work must get done, of course, but leave him/her hanging on anything that is his/her's responsibilty, or where it would show that he/she has dropped the ball.

That's what my colleagues and I have done, and her lack of contribution is being noticed EVERYWHERE (our department is central to the operation of virtually the entire system).

Nothing "in her face" or rude, but it's an intolerable situation and things are indeed happening now.

Good luck to you and I hope I've been of some help.

[bleedingheart]

14. we have already managed to "assist" C in that way...

in fact C has been out of the office a lot lately and as a result more of C's incompetence has come to light....which is why higher managers are starting to grumble...but as always higher management won't eat crow and admit C was their mistake...

C is actually afraid of A & B...so there is a hope that C might just quit because working with A & B would make C nervous...
All parties still work in the same office and C makes a point not to get in A & B's way...

[tjdee]

15. It would have cost more to promote A or B.

This is what happened, I saw something eerily similar to this at an old job.

A&B, because of their degrees, time at the job,etc., would have had to get more money for a promotion.

C, on the other hand, with no degree (past job history doesn't matter) and not a lot of time there, was probably making a little less than A&B anyway.

So to promote C, who probably kisses ass or "looks good", they only had to give a slight improvement in wages. At my old job, C ended up making only $100 more a week than A&B.

And they have the added benefit of retaining A&B and telling them to help C. Or they did, which is why Old Division wants you back.

Did they HAVE to promote someone because there was a vacancy or something?

[bleedingheart]

16. Actually it is more perverse

C may be making as much as $20,000 more per year than A or B...the company has very structured pay scales...

C kisses ass but it is a lean mean organization and the managment group that promoted C never thought to look into C's past with the company...
C's new position isn't one that is well suited to someone who is lazy and not capable of the job...and in fact it has come out that some very public work that C did is all wrong and may embarrass the company...

A & B are hoping that C is about to get fired...and that the merger is a way to help them make amends without losing face...but once again corporate logic never works out logically...

[tjdee]

17. Wow. How in the world did C ever get that promotion then?

Do you at least get how that happened?

If that's the case, I'd not help C if I could keep my job at the same time.

No offense to C (but it sounds like you don't like C anyway!), management shouldn't be rewarded for screwing up by A&B doing work for free and all that nonsense.

[bleedingheart]

18. The manager that promoted C

respects A & B but is afraid of them because they are bright, intellignt and because the manager was in charge of a project where A & B were to provide feedback...the manager took the product feedback as a personal slight and never forgave A or B...for doing what they were supposed to do...assess a product...the manager wanted a rosy report and got an honest one...

C has no shame and played up the manager in spite of the fact that A had gone to the manager and reported problems with C and the company's clients... but the manaager let fear of A & B override that and promoted incompetent C.

Slowly everyone that worked with C learned that C was using everyone else as a crutch to do C's work. Now C eats lunch alone and has no one to talk to because C has burned too many bridges...but C is crafty and nothing has been written up.

In fact another employee..D recently told A that C had the nerve to take credit for a lot of work that D did. D is pissed because this happened while D was being reviewed...D had to show D's boss all the back up evidence and prove that C was full of shit.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

19. Under number 5 I'd have to say,

it doesn't sound like A&B are well respected. If they were, this wouldn't keep happening. Perhaps C is well connected as opposed to benefiting from the corporate America thing?

[bleedingheart]

22. A & B are not liked by one manager

but the clients, sales staff and many others respect them...but management counts.

One of C's last jobs was at Claire' boutique...C has no connections but one theory was that if C was promoted by the manager that A & B would quit out of spite...the manager wasn't counting on the restructuring...that worked to A & B's benefit..without it...they probably would have quit.

Now the manager is trying force a merger to get A & B since C isn't working out...

[B Calm]

23. A & B should quit the job and let the same company rehire A & B

as high paid consultants..