Non-Promotion: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

There are a great many names for this: in [[Real Life]] and in fictional office settings they call it being a ''Team Leader''. In the military they call it a ''Brevet'' rank, you get the authority and whatnot of the promotion, but not the money. Happened a lot in [[Real Life]] in the American Civil War and the World Wars.

 

Think of it as the opposite of being [[Kicked Upstairs]], you stay right where you are but do more work! Oh and I need you to file these examples too.

 

== [[Film]] ==

* An almost example appears in an opening scene of the film ''Scorched'': a long-time employee of the bank is promoted to Assistant Manager, receiving a vast list of new responsibilities ... and a 55 cents an hour raise.

* This happened to the main character in the ''Sten'' novels by Chris Bunch. He's given cadet rank (eventually up to becoming a company commander), but among other things, he's responsible for discipline across the entire company, and isn't very good at it. Eventually he's given command during an exercise against an overwhelming enemy, fails spectacularly, and is kicked out of training because of it.

* In ''[[Spelljammer|The Cloakmaster Cycle]]'' Teldin at one point "promoted" trooper Gomja to sergeant, even though Teldin himself wasn't currently on any service, has no official status other than "farmer" and was but a ''mule skinner'' in the army before retirement. Unusual in that this helped. The "promotion" forced a young and completely dependent on the orders [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|Giff]] to think for himself, and even [[Let's Get Dangerous|unlocked his tactical thinking to the dangerous level]]: for Giff being a [[Space Marine]] is the only understandable way of life and the only subject of their education. It's unclear whether Teldin did it on purpose or just to make him feel better, but [[Hilarity Ensues]].

* In ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' Harry repeatedly grants higher and higher ranks to the pixie Toot-Toot. Harry thinks it's just stroking Toot's ego, but Toot takes it seriously, so with each promotion he recruits more and more pixies to follow him. When Harry finally calls on the "'Za Lord's Guard" for help, he's quite surprised at how many of them there are.

 

** The American version has Dwight getting promoted by Michael from Assistant to the Regional Manager to Assistant Regional Manager. It's an unofficial promotion without any perks. Also, when Dwight thinks he will become the manager, he holds interviews for his "Number Two Man". He then appoints Andy as the Number Two "for political reasons" and Pam as his secret actual Number Two before he finds out that [[Status Quo Is God|no one is getting promoted]].

* [[Happy Days|Richie Cunningham]] was made group leader (or whatever the precise title was) of his ROTC unit in high school, which Ralph and Potsie took as permission to goof off.

'''Harry Solomon:''' Champagne for everyone! }}

* In ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]'', when Mary is first hired, Lou offers her a choice of Assistant Director or Secretary. She, of course, chooses Assistant Director. When she meets and talks to Murray, she finds out that the Secretary job pays more.

 

== [[Newspaper Comics]] ==

* Team Leaders are a source of humour in ''[[Dilbert]]''. e.g.,

PHB: No. You're only a ''vice'' duke. }}

** This is Played With frequently in ''[[Dilbert]]'', including everythin from long, overblown titles like "Supreme Commander of Cubicle S700R!" to "Not only will you ''not'' get raises, you'll also ''not'' get promotions! Oh, and you'll all be named Beverly."

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

'''Sebben''': PROOOO-MOTIONS! }}

 

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[[Category:Characters As Device]]