Promotion - would you take it?

[unruly1986]

I took it 18 months ago. At the time I’d spent 9 months in a post that had taken me the best part of 5 years to get into - I loved the job as well as the location. Allowances were a nice boost too. I was genuinely gutted to leave and still miss it.

Ultimately I think it will be worth it in the long run, however right now, being 2 years into a 4 year pay freeze (Pay 16 seniority rule), I’m wondering if it was the right decision. As a Cpl I was earning £300/month more than I am now and the job and location were much better.

All I can hope for is that I am able to manoeuvre my way back to the location I left, however having seen the way that manning works, it seems that hope is all I will have. If I did manage to get back then I think that I will see my time out there. I wouldn’t take promotion again.

With 9 to push until the 22 I’m probably not in the pension trap yet. The main thing keeping me and others in my position from leaving is the 12 month ET wait time.

 

[muttywhitedog]

"however right now, being 2 years into a 4 year pay freeze (Pay 16 seniority rule), I’m wondering if it was the right decision. As a Cpl I was earning £300/month more than I am now"

As I read that, your promotion will have cost you £14,400 over the 4 years you are on a pay freeze, and you plan to leave after 9 years. Isn't your pension post-16 determined on your final salary? If so, that's a heck of a lot less in the qualifying earnings.

 

[busby1971]

I once took a posting on the promise of a promotion, ie we can send you here but we’ll put you there so you don’t have to move again, never actually got the step up, that went to another individual who promptly went on Long Term Sick, so at least I got the money.

Luckily it was to a place I wanted to go to so no real complaints, and apart from one short period of Wnaker boss it was a great time.


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[Lux_deluxe]

When I got promoted to Chief Tech I was 2 years in to a 3 year Cyprus posting at Episkopi. The offer was an extension of a year to make it 4 total and moved to Akrotiri. I had to pinch myself lol.

 

[unruly1986]

MWD: Admittedly the amount I ‘lost’ was in the way of allowances, therefore I don’t know if that went towards pensionable earnings. I was also on a SDRP so by taking the promotion I may have escaped any future pay cut if pay protection comes to an end.

Ultimately you are right though as the current pay freeze I am on means that any pay rises I would have had under the old pay system will be missed, affecting the pension. Another thought I have had is that if I do end up promoting again then I may have to face another round of pay freezes to allow my seniority to catch up again.

I think that in 5-10 years time the RAF will have a real issue in retaining enough people to fill the OR7/OR9 roles. People will simply not want to stay that long.

 

[ktuludays]

And as a result of that ^^^ there will loads of numpties or people not ready for promotion filling those posts

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[briggfairy]

And as a result of that ^^^ there will loads of numpties or people not ready for promotion filling those posts

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or people that left 2 years ago and have decided to join back up

 

[Downsizer]

I think the fact that you no longer miss the next PSB doesn't encourage people to take it either...

 

[dessp2]

Too right. Who on earth would turn down promotion. It is the reward for one’s hard work, professionalism and diligence. It has proved your ability to go that extra mile. The demonstration that you are ‘in the weeds’ when it comes to your job rather than the rest who think the RAF should revolve around them (far too many of those around). So yes. Promotion should always be welcomed and never avoided. And the RAF should get rid of the long term sick (not the genuine ones, the ones who milk it) who are about as much use as a Padre’s Ammo pouches.

 

[kevster]

I definitely would, if I thought I'd end up working for/with/in charge of you.

 

[Dan_Brown]

Too right. Who on earth would turn down promotion. It is the reward for one’s hard work, professionalism and diligence. It has proved your ability to go that extra mile. The demonstration that you are ‘in the weeds’ when it comes to your job rather than the rest who think the RAF should revolve around them (far too many of those around).

DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31: - that is the funniest thing i've read all day!!!! Thankyo.......wait? You were serious? Oh................

 

[kevster]

DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31:DT_Xtremez_31: - that is the funniest thing i've read all day!!!! Thankyo.......wait? You were serious? Oh................

I'd work for Dan Brown though.

 

[Witty_Banter]

"It is the reward for one’s hard work, professionalism and diligence"

Well, it's supposed to be. These days it's just a leverage tool for manning to get the jobs done that nobody wants. There's very little personal gain in it these days.

"It has proved your ability to go that extra mile"

No - That's your SJAR / OJAR. Your write-up is the proof that you're able to operate at a higher level, the promotion is meant to be the result of your proven ability to go the extra mile.

"...rather than the rest who think the RAF should revolve around them (far too many of those around)."

Unfortunately these people get SJARs / OJARs too, and they usually promote before their peers think they should (and their peers generally tend to be right). These days, being mediocre at your primary task is completely irrelevant if you bury your nose far enough up your hierarchy's ar$e, particularly if you are on a sports marker. If you can make the RAF look good in a glossy mag then they'll promote you, no matter how rubbish you are within your actual TG. I can think of a couple of people who are MND and way better at their actual jobs than some other people I know (who's primary goal in the RAF seems to be spending as much time away from work as possible).

Once you've been passed over a couple of times for people like that, the thought of 'doing the RAF a favour' by taking promotion and signing more of your life away becomes a bitter taste in your mouth - particularly if there are little to no incentives other than a negligible financial uplift.

Is this 'cutting off your nose to spite your face'? Possibly.

Would I feel proud of myself for taking promotion at this point? Probably not.

 

[Stevienics]

Id have to say, this time around without the possibility of promotion, it's really quite wonderfully refreshing to be forthright with all above and below, with zero threat of bad OJARs hanging like the sword of Damocles over one's head.

You can't be overtly rude, but it's quite legitimate and indeed expected of you to point out the flawed logic in their "orders".

 

[Tin basher]

"Who on earth would turn down promotion. It is the reward for one’s hard work, professionalism and diligence. It has proved your ability to go that extra mile. The demonstration that you are ‘in the weeds’ when it comes to your job rather than the rest who think the RAF should revolve around them"

ILLBW would be so proudDT_Xtremez_30:

 

[Stealing a wage]

"Who on earth would turn down promotion. It is the reward for one’s hard work, professionalism and diligence. It has proved your ability to go that extra mile. The demonstration that you are ‘in the weeds’ when it comes to your job rather than the rest who think the RAF should revolve around them"Please visit the Mighty 90 up t’North; You can be excellent at your job, be the RAF’s top sportsperson or do charity work all the hours you’re not in work, but if you’re not running in the right circles or someone has a louder Line Manager when it comes to the Grading Board (that I’m sure there not supposed to be doing) there’s little chance of promotion.And as someone has pointed out; who wants the promotion for 3 x more work but very little financial benefit? I hit the 22-year point in just over 24 months and my plan is to hand in my notice at the back end of 2019. I said from the day I joined up that as soon as I didn’t enjoy it anymore then that’s when I’d throw in the towel. (Mrs SaW says the same about sex)I’ve seen a lot of people promoted who deserved it, but sadly I’m seeing more and more who play the game, float in the right circle, kiss the right arse (not ass) or are put into high profile roles that guarantees promotion. Seems every person and their dog here has a CP admin bitch (male & female). When we WERE a technical trade I saw, people do 18 months’ trade training then go from admin role to admin role getting promoted each time, never doing any technical work along the way; If only the baby Jesus had blessed me with boobies.I worked bloody hard to get to Sgt and because I have the knack of saying the right thing at the wrong time (yep that way around) I’ve decided it’s time to jump ship whilst still having some dignity. Yes I could bend over, do more after hours work, do a sport (bloke here has just set up a Station table tennis club.wtaf, that’s not even a sport) but the extra workload, little financial incentive and having to mentor incompetent Junior Officers (is it me or have the standards of officer entrants dropped through the floor?) doesn’t tip the scale for me to stay in.Good luck to those who do want to stay and play the game or to those that aren’t in a position to leave yet, but please, please don’t try and tell me that people are being rewarded for their hard work, professionalism and diligence. Maybe some years back; now selection for promotion is no better than voting on Strictly come skating or Britain’s got X factor. You show me 5 people who were promoted on merit and I’ll show you 10 who deserved it but weren’t even looked at.RightI’ll get off my soapbox now; people keep staring at me because I’m starting to grunt

 

[4everAD]

Wonderful! just reading that has brightened up my day, spot on though.

 

[Witty_Banter]

Yup, spot on, and it's not limited to any particular trade, either. I have a strong suspicion that it's a lot to do with how we run our promotion boards.

 

[ktuludays]

Spot on. Says it all really and one of (the many) reasons I jumped shop at 12 years

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[briggfairy]

Spot on. Says it all really and one of (the many) reasons I jumped shop at 12 years

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I couldn't even stomach it that long, the problem with the promotion boards is that they assume that everyone is competent at their job to the same level. unfortunately we all know that's not the case.