LEGALLY SPEAKING: Quiet Promotion and how to deal with it

Loading player...
Laura Pycraft - Career Coach ‍and Talent Management Expert talks about You May Get A 'Quiet Promotion' And Not Realize Until It's Too Late

There's a difference between a stretch opportunity and this exploitative behavior.

Quiet promotions can lead to quiet quitting. Don't let this happen to you.

If you have ever felt like you are doing work that goes above and beyond your job title, you might have gotten a “quiet promotion.”

They often take place after a company layoff or when a co-worker goes on leave. With your team short-staffed, extra responsibilities and the duties of your departed colleagues may be piled on you without a change in pay or job title. “You do the job of two people for the price of one,” said career strategist Ana Goehner.

Too many of us feel like we’ve been given a quiet promotion. When JobSage surveyed 1,000 full-time U.S. employees in October, three out of four said their workload has increased without additional compensation.

If you keep being asked to do more and be a team player, you could be dealing with a quiet promotion.

Ana Goehner, a career strategist who has been quietly promoted a few times when she worked in corporate jobs, said for her it stemmed from not knowing how to say no to additional work.

“As an over-achiever immigrant, I wanted to be a team player and get things done. I thought a heavy workload was the only way to receive a promotion. I took on backup work from peers, and it became my responsibility. I did more than my colleagues, earned less and kept the same title,” she said. “It took me years to realize that doing the job of two people was unsustainable. I got very sick.”

Goehner said the constant cycle of job-related stress took a toll on her body and mind. She would emotionally eat and sustained back and knee issues, stomach pain and migraines, and she needed physical therapy.

“I felt in a state of fight-or-flight daily,” she noted. “My mental health was affected, and I didn’t know how to relax and get out of that anxious state. I was experiencing burnout, working with therapists and trying my best to keep going.“

“It took me years to realize that doing the job of two people was unsustainable. I got very sick.”
7 Dec 2022 1PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Building a Future‑Ready Mining & Energy Company: Mantengu’s Next Chapter

Mantengu CEO Magen Naidoo shares how he is steering the company into a new era — blending mining and energy strategy, people‑centred leadership, fiscal discipline and operational transformation. With 24 years of experience, including 17 at Deloitte, Naidoo discusses culture, capability building, risk management and what it takes to build…
28 Jul 1PM 16 min

AI, 4IR & Mining’s Future: Human‑Centred Innovation for Africa

RIIS energy and sustainability expert Sylvesters Okello unpacks PwC’s Ten Insights into 4IR in South African Mining. We explore CEO‑driven AI adoption, the sector’s poor data maturity, the massive digital skills gap, and why mining must embrace human‑centred technology. A powerful conversation on how AI can enhance safety, productivity and…
28 Jul 1PM 14 min

Kumba Iron Ore’s H1 Profit down 41% on Global Headwinds

Kumba Iron Ore delivered R10.9bn EBITDA despite a challenging external environment, rising unit costs and softer production. CEO Mpumi Zikalala discusses maintaining a 35% margin, navigating logistics constraints, declaring a R7.90 interim dividend, and driving sustainability — from fatality‑free operations to renewable energy integration. A deep dive into leadership, cost…
28 Jul 1PM 14 min

Mining Momentum Falters: Fuel Costs, Conflict & Commodity Pressures

South Africa’s mining sector hit its first production contraction in five months, with May down 4.5% year‑on‑year. Minerals Council Economist André Lourens breaks down the drivers behind the slowdown — from Middle East tensions disrupting global oil flows to fading commodity price support. We unpack manganese and chrome’s surprising resilience,…
28 Jul 12PM 17 min

Family Business to National Player: Anton Gillis on SA’s Hospitality Future

Platinum Hospitality Holdings is set to announce Anton Gillis as its new CEO — marking a major succession moment for one of SA’s leading family‑built hotel groups. Anton shares what the group is seeing on the ground across its national portfolio, where hospitality demand is growing, how operators are navigating…
27 Jul 1PM 15 min