I work in a global team of about 7. I've always done pretty well during annual performance reviews, but as of the past year or so, I've really gotten out of my comfort zone, taking various stretch projects and I feel I've really built my reputation with most of my stakeholders. In 2023 alone, I led some important transformational projects that had high visibility.
I really thought I was going to get promoted to that next level, but instead they gave it to another teammate who is highly overrated. Although she is pretty good at her job, she's not one to raise her hand when complex projects come up. To make matters even more interesting, she was on maternity leave for 11 months. When she came back, it was as if we had a new hire because so much our processes have changed. How do managers handle that situation with performance ratings and long leaves of absence? I mean, it shouldn't hurt reviews that people take their legally allotted paid time off, but how would a manager reconcile someone who worked the full year and got results vs someone who only worked for a few months in 2023?
I do think our skip level manager plays favorites with some on the team, but this feels like a major insult to me and others on the team who picked up the slack. It's possible this colleague was at the lower end of the pay range, but I am, too. It just doesn't make sense. Needless to say, I'm done with this place
Based in UK if relevant.