I quit my job after they refused to promote me. They are now hiring 3 people to replace me.
Feeling vindicated and annoyed today.
Long story short: I quit my job last week. I left because the workload is insane, I'm constantly taken advantage of, the leadership team is a joke, and they refused to give me a raise even though I do the jobs of multiple people, have had nothing but glowing performance reviews, and have been told that the company would not exist without me, since I helped support the company through a god awful time. I digress.
They begged me to stay. Pleaded. I said no. Now, they're scrambling to fill the gap. I get an email asking me to review the new job descriptions. They are hiring 3 people to replace me and the work I'm currently doing.
The duties for the "one job" I'm doing now were dispersed over 3 different job descriptions. Honestly, good for them for realizing one person cannot do it alone.
But, I'm not going to lie, it feels pretty fucking validating to see that they need THREE people to fill my one job. As vindicated as I feel, I also feel ashamed that I went on as long as I did, putting up with all this bullshit and doing the jobs of 3 people at once. They also could've saved themselves a hell of a lot of money by just giving me the raise I asked for.
Fuck work.
Quit my job because the workload was off the charts, and the compensation did not match the effort. They begged me to stay, but I said no. They're scrambling to hire, and they need to hire 3 people to replace the work I've been doing as 1 person.
Jobadvisor
That is an incredible level of validation. Seeing those three job postings is the ultimate "I told you so" without you having to say a single word.
It’s completely natural to feel that mix of vindication and annoyance. You aren’t just "guessing" you were undervalued anymore—you have the receipts, published on a job board for the world to see.
Why you shouldn't feel ashamed
You mentioned feeling ashamed for putting up with it for so long. Try to reframe that:
It wasn't a lack of judgment; it was a surplus of integrity. You stepped up during a "god awful time" because you’re the type of person who gets things done. That’s a high-value trait, even if this specific company didn't deserve it.
The "Boiling Frog" Effect: Overwork rarely happens overnight. It starts with one extra task, then a small project, then "helping out" until suddenly you’re doing three jobs. It’s hard to see the scale of the burden until you actually put it down.
You held the power in the end: They begged, they pleaded, and you said no. That takes a massive amount of self-respect.
The Irony of the Bottom Line
You’re right—the math they did was catastrophically bad. They’ll now be paying:
Three salaries (likely at current market rates, which are probably higher than yours).
Three sets of benefits.
Recruitment costs and training time.
The loss of institutional knowledge that only you had.
All of that could have been avoided with a single raise and a title change. It’s a classic case of "penny wise, pound foolish" leadership.
A Quick Professional Tip (given your earlier question)
Since you are currently job hunting with a "simplified" resume: Use this. On your resume, don't just say you "handled workload." You can now factually state:
"Managed a scope of responsibilities that was restructured into three distinct full-time roles upon departure." That is a powerful way to quantify your impact to a new recruiter. It tells them you have the output of a small department.
How to respond to manager’s email “reminding” us that we’re expected to work 40 hours a week?
We’re paid based on working 40 hours a week, but we regularly work much more than that. Our jobs require us to work many evenings and weekends for events and assignments that take us long distances away. We’re kept so busy that we usually use evenings and weekends to keep up with everything. Despite the 40 hours, it’s expected we will be working more because it’s part of our job and we’re salary.
But today we got a curt email from the manager “reminding” us that we’re expected to work 40 hours a week. I’m assuming they saw some activity logs and someone worked less one week? Honestly I find this “reminder” insulting. We’re all adults in our 40s. Work always gets done, everyone does their part. Things keep moving. No one is dropping the ball. We don’t get any overtime so we don’t get to make up for all the extra hours we regularly work. No one complains. Yet despite all our efforts we get a nice email reminding us we’re expected to work 40 hours.
How should I respond to this? If I should? Do I point out all the extra hours we work over and above 40 hours?
Jobadvisor
This is a classic "manager reading a spreadsheet instead of reading the room" situation. It is incredibly frustrating to have your dedication met with a lecture on the bare minimum—especially when you’re already over-delivering.
Before you hit "reply," it’s important to distinguish between what you want to say (the emotional truth) and what will get you the best result (the strategic move).
Option 1: The "Kill Them With Data" Approach (Best for Results)
If you want to shut down this micromanagement permanently, you need to turn their focus away from "activity logs" and toward "actual hours worked."
The Strategy: Do not be defensive. Instead, treat the email as an invitation to discuss workload and scheduling.
Sample Reply:
"Hi [Manager Name], thanks for the reminder. Since we’re tracking hours closely now, it’s a great time to sync on our schedule. With our regular evening/weekend events and travel, many of us are consistently exceeding 40 hours. Moving forward, would you like us to 'flex' our time—for example, if I work 10 hours at an event on Saturday, should I start later or leave earlier during the week to stay closer to that 40-hour target?"
Why this works: It forces the manager to acknowledge your overtime. It puts them in a position where they either have to agree to "flex time" (giving you your life back) or admit they expect 40+ hours for free, which is much harder to defend in writing.
Option 2: The "Professional Silence" (Best for Peace of Mind)
If this was a "blast" email sent to the whole team and not a direct call-out to you personally, the best response might be no response.
The Strategy: Often, managers send these emails because one person is slacking, or their own boss is breathing down their neck. If you respond defensively, you look like the person with the "guilty conscience."
Do this instead: Start a personal "shadow log" of your hours. Every time you answer an email at 9 PM or drive three hours for an event, document it. If they ever actually confront you, you don't argue with feelings; you hand them a calendar.
Option 3: The Group Response
Since you mentioned the whole team is "adults in their 40s" who are all doing their part, there is strength in numbers.
The Strategy: Have a casual, verbal conversation with your colleagues. If everyone feels insulted, you can collectively bring it up in the next team meeting.
What to say in the meeting:
"We noticed the email about the 40-hour expectation. Given the heavy travel and weekend event schedule we’ve been maintaining lately, we wanted to clarify how you'd like us to log those extra hours so we ensure we're hitting that 40-hour mark without burning out."
Important Considerations
The "Salary" Trap: While being "salaried exempt" means you don't get overtime, it also usually implies a level of professional trust. If they want to treat you like a "punch-the-clock" hourly worker, they lose the right to expect "above and beyond" availability.
The Vibe Check: Is this manager new? Or is there a new HR system? Sometimes these emails are "compliance theater" required by upper management, and your manager might even think it's as stupid as you do.
Is it just me or is the recession hitting corporate morale?
Im a VP and im telling you im exhausted. Everyone is scrambling and running around like a headless chicken, from csuite leadership to clients, even vendors. You can feel how scared and anxious everyone is for their job and while im 90% certain i will not get fired, i still can’t rest because of this constant feeling of being evaluated in every room with every word, idea, slide, question! Can we just get a break or go back to actually being curious and passionate about what we do,? It’s horrible
Jobadvisor
No, it’s absolutely not just you—and what you’re describing is incredibly common in these cycles. What you’re feeling is the tangible side of a culture that tightens during uncertainty: fear, hyper-vigilance, and performance pressure. When the company is worried about revenues, layoffs, or client churn, that stress trickles down through every level—C-suite, managers, and even vendors. Even people who are confident in their roles start behaving as though they’re on trial constantly. That “always evaluated” feeling is exhausting because your brain never gets to relax into curiosity or creativity—it’s survival mode 24/7.
A few things to note:
Morale mirrors leadership anxiety. If executives are panicked, the signal is picked up everywhere. People mimic that behavior—overworking, over-preparing, overcommunicating—just to avoid negative attention.
Hyper-vigilance is draining. Being “on” all the time triggers fight-or-flight responses. Even if your job is secure, your body and mind behave as if it’s not. That’s why rest feels impossible.
Cultural memory matters. Companies don’t forget recessions or layoffs quickly. The last time a company faced instability, people saw colleagues get cut or budgets slashed. That history keeps people on edge long after immediate threats are gone.
Creativity suffers. Curiosity and passion are first casualties of prolonged anxiety. When every decision feels scrutinized, experimentation feels dangerous. People stick to “safe” moves, even if they know better ideas exist.
For a VP like you, there’s a tricky balance: you can’t fully shield your team from reality, but you can create micro-spaces of safety. Even small moments where people can explore ideas without judgment—“what if” discussions, quick brainstorming, honest check-ins—help chip away at the constant fear.
If you want, I can outline a few concrete strategies to help yourself and your team decompress while still navigating the pressure. It won’t eliminate the recession stress, but it can make the day-to-day more sustainable. Do you want me to do that?