- Jennifer Schroeder, with 25 years of experience, was passed over for a promotion.
- A 25-year-old recent graduate was promoted instead, and Schroeder was asked to train her.
- Schroeder refused to train the new hire, citing ageism and exploitation of experience.
A veteran employee in the US is speaking out after being passed over for a promotion in favour of a less-experienced college graduate. Jennifer Schroeder, a professional with 25 years of experience, revealed in a TikTok video that her company promoted a 25-year-old recent graduate over her. Not only that, but the management also asked her to train the new hire for the very role she was denied. She didn't disclose the name of her workplace or the industry she is in.
Schroeder said that she refused to train the new hire, citing exploitation of experienced workers and ageism. She said her company expected her to hand over decades of knowledge for free. The employee stated if they want her expertise, they'll have to pay her what she's worth.
"I watched a 25-year-old get my promotion, and then they asked me to train her. Here's what I said—"No," Schroeder told her followers on TikTok.
"They passed me over for a promotion that I had earned, gave it to someone fresh out of grad school with zero experience, and then expected me to teach her how to do the job they said I wasn't good enough for. The audacity is stunning, isn't it?" she added.
Watch the video here:
Schroeder further informed that her bosses were taken aback when she refused to train the younger new hire and got HR emails about being a team player.
"Watched a 25-year-old get my promotion and then ask me to train her. I said no. Not sorry. Not maybe. Just no. She was shocked. The manager is furious. HR email about team player. Don't care," she said.
Schroeder's stance has resonated with thousands, with many sharing similar experiences of ageism in their careers. One user echoed her sentiment, saying, "If I'm not qualified for the position, I'm not qualified to train the person receiving it."
Another said, "I was passed over for a promotion, even though I was literally doing the job without the title. Cool. From that point forward, my response to anything was, "You need to ask Bridget for that." Bridget had no idea how to do it, and it was painfully obvious to everyone that I was the one who had been keeping the department afloat.
The Aftermath
After speaking out, Schroeder alleged that she faced backlash at work, including being excluded from meetings. However, she didn't back down -- she prepared her case and negotiated 6 months of severance pay.
Interestingly, the person promoted over her lasted just 4 months.
"Ultimately, this experience has underscored the importance of standing firm on professional boundaries and the necessity for a fair corporate culture that cultivates talent rather than exploits it," she wrote in another update.
Statistcs show she's not alone: 99% of employees over 40 report experiencing ageism at work, and nearly a quarter of workers over 50 feel pushed out due to age, as per Forbes. Schroeder, who has more than 70,000 followers on TikTok, describes herself as a "workplace advocate" for professionals 45 and up.
