Discrimination at work comes in many forms. It can manifest through unfair hiring, during which certain groups are overlooked despite being qualified for the position; unequal pay, where individuals are compensated differently for the same job because of their gender, race, and other personal characteristics; or, as it was the case for Reddit user Cold_Market3393, being passed over for promotions.

A few days ago, the employee shared an earnest post, explaining that they were denied an advancement opportunity due to management’s bias towards parents and that it enraged them so much, they immediately took action.

This woman has spent the last 18 months as a temporary manager at her job

Image credits: MART PRODUCTION / pexels (not the actual photo)

But when the time came, the promotion was given to her colleague

Image credits: Anastasia Shuraeva / pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Cold_Market3393

According to Amii Barnard-Bahn, who is a partner at Kaplan & Walker and the CEO of Barnard-Bahn Coaching & Consulting, a leadership firm that helps C-suite executives become exceptional, typically, an employee’s readiness for a promotion is measured against these five areas of growth:

• Self-awareness: Your ability to accurately reflect on your behaviors, emotions, and attitudes. (How well do you understand your strengths and weaknesses? Are you aware of what you can learn or improve on?)
• External awareness: Your awareness about what impact you and your work have on others around you. (What feedback have you been given in the past about your work? How do others feel working with you? How strong are your relationships at work?)
• Strategic thinking: Your ability to understand the larger context you, your team, and your organization operate within. (What are the team’s top priorities and why? What are the business opportunities and constraints of the organization? How does your role remove obstacles and help achieve them?)
• Executive presence: Your ability to establish credibility and influence the people you work with. It includes gravitas, communication skills, and leadership. (Are you calm, cool, and decisive under pressure? How do you handle conflicts with peers? Have you been complimented on your clear, concise communication skills?)
• Thought leadership: Your knowledge and expertise in a particular domain. (What special knowledge and skills do you possess? How do you share these, inside and outside your company? How robust is your network?)

There’s no denying that promotion conversations can be tricky, but if the Redditor’s bosses disregarded all of this for the sole reason that she lacks a family, the immediate departure may have not been the worst move she could’ve made.

At a time when only 33% of employees are engaged at work, giving them an extra reason to feel undervalued is a straight path to high turnover.

Image credits: CoWomen / pexels (not the actual photo)

The story has received a lot of strong reactions and advice

Some even shared  their own similar experiences

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