A Promotion at Work
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (128835)
Gainesville, Florida
April 20, 2016 7:29pm CST
Unfortunately, not for me! But my senior staff assistant, who has been by my side faithfully for the last 15 years, just accepted a promotion to the position of executive staff assistant, working for our department director (my boss).
I am devastated to lose the best employee I have ever hired in my life, and the two of us were like peas in a pod, but I am also happy for her to get the opportunity to advance to a higher level position.
I'm going to be lost without her, and she was in tears today knowing it was her last day with me, but I think she's going to be very happy in her new position. First and foremost, she won't have to work two jobs anymore, as she'll now be making a big enough salary that she can quit her night job. That will allow her more time to be home with her family! (trust me, I've tried to give her big raises over the years, but she was at the maximum pay rate for her position).
I'm not going to know what to do next week when she starts her new position. For the first time in 15 years, I don't have someone who can point me in the right direction, fix my mistakes, keep me out of trouble, and provide loving but honest opinions on all my decisions! I guess I'm going to have to learn to fend for myself for a while until I can hire a new staff assistant.
Have any of you ever lost an employee that worked so well with you that you felt completely lost without them?
9 people like this
10 responses
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
21 Apr 16
Teachers don't have employees. What has happened in education though, is that schools have reduced the number of custodians and clerical staff and teachers had to take up their jobs in addition to teaching. This is totally improper and not due to a good reason like your case. But I did really miss my custodian. He kept my room clean, and I kept it tidy.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (128835)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Apr 16
I remember when my kids were in elementary school, the teachers would always rave about the custodial staff and how beneficial they were to not only the school, but to each of the teachers as well. They were all like family.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (128835)
• Gainesville, Florida
24 Apr 16
@ElizabethWallace Hey, I meant to ask you, since I've been seeing this all over the news and social media...did you see that Hawaii is begging people to come be teachers? They have something like 1600 teaching positions to fill, and not enough teachers to fill them! They will pay $50,000 a year, and in most cases you don't even need a teaching degree (from what I've been seeing and hearing). Wondered what your take on the situation is? Obviously, Hawaii has a very high standard of living, so I imagine $50k would not be a very good salary.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
22 Apr 16
@moffittjc Yes, and as they retired, many school districts foolishly did not replace them. Now where there once was a whole staff of individuals to keep a school clean, now there are only two or three custodians for the whole property, both inside and out. Makes sense financially, but not in reality. It isn't healthy to spend your days in filthy conditions.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128835)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Apr 16
Sometimes you get good help, sometimes you don't. I got super lucky with this employee!
@Marilynda1225 (91109)
• United States
21 Apr 16
Wonderful for her to be getting a new position that will offer her more money and more time with her family. Sad for you to have to start with someone new but hope the next person can fill the shoes left by this wonderful lady
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128835)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Apr 16
Those are going to be some pretty big shoes to fill! I hope that not only can I find someone even half as good, but that I don't hold the new person to a higher standard than what the position calls for.
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
23 Apr 16
It is great to have a colleague like that, one you can really count on.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Apr 16
I sometimes think perhaps I was that employee as my boss went to great lengths to provide anything SHE thought might help me and/or keep me satisfied in my position. Often I'd say there was no need - for a new chair or some labour-saving gizmo - but she would get it anyway. It's great to have a boss like that.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128835)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Apr 16
I did the same thing! I would go out of my way to make sure she had everything she wanted and needed. I knew she was too valuable to lose, but I also knew that she was so good at her job that she would eventually get promoted up in the organization! I just did my best to keep her happy and keep her in my office for as long as I could (without holding her back from growing professionally).
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128835)
• Gainesville, Florida
23 Apr 16
@JudyEv Luckily, she is not going very far...her new office will be in the building right next to the building I work in, so I will be able to stop by and say hi to her all the time!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Apr 16
@moffittjc You did really well to keep her for 15 years. I was sent off to quite a few PD type courses too - and Excel and Access workshops. All good. :)
2 people like this
@moffittjc (128835)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Apr 16
Thankfully, she offered to continue helping me until I can fill her position, and her new boss is being gracious enough to share her for a month of so until we can get my new staff assistant settled in.
1 person likes this
@Blondie2222 (28610)
• United States
21 Apr 16
Yes we lose employees here and there because the pay is not good and they find something better. I had one that i was really close too and she left for a better paying job now i'm lost without her. I don't trust too many people in my department as some like to tell on others and lie and i can't deal with that. I just keep to myself mostly.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128835)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Apr 16
It wasn't that she wasn't making good money, as she was being paid at the top of her salary range, it's just that with the promotion, she now has a higher salary range which gives her more room for pay raises in the future.
@carexing25 (1822)
• Philippines
21 Apr 16
i'm sure you'll be alright without her but i hope you can find a new staff to help you out
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60812)
• Perth, Australia
14 Feb 20
@moffittjc You are such a wonderful friend. I am very happy for her for so many reasons. Good on her!
1 person likes this
@resukill22 (25050)
• Las Pinas City, Philippines
14 Feb 20
Hope your promote too?
1 person likes this
