'I’m being given intern tasks,' shares manager: Has promotion at work turned into punishment?

Promotions are meant to be a green light for progress. A higher title, a raise, and the promise of greater responsibility are supposed to confirm that effort has paid off. But for some employees, moving up feels less like recognition and more like confinement.

A promotion accepted under pressure

A recent Reddit post talks about this exact disconnect. The user describes accepting a promotion after their company was acquired and their original role was eliminated. On paper, it looked like a rescue: a new title, a raise, and a transfer to a city they love. In reality, it has felt like exile.“I’m a manager and no longer an assistant. Yet, I have less autonomy than before,” the user writes. Days are spent with little to do.

“I did number some plans this morning and circled apartments on them in red.” Tasks once handled independently in their previous role have been replaced with work they describe as closer to canvassing than management. “Seriously, they give me intern tasks.”

Waiting without responsibility

This sense of demotion despite promotion is not uncommon. Many organizations equate advancement with removal from hands-on work. Employees who were trusted to manage files, projects, or clients suddenly find themselves sidelined while they wait for a future transition that may not materialize.

In this case, the manager was told they would be trained for a role once a colleague retires in a year. “Well, the year is going to be long,” they said.

Isolation after the title change

The emotional toll shows up quickly, as the new workplace is small and isolating for them. “We were 30 in my old agency. Here we are 3,” the user shares. Social interaction is limited, information flows elsewhere, and the sense of belonging that once came with the job has disappeared.

Even basic flexibility has narrowed. A request to add two days to a vacation was refused for the first time in their career.

When meaning disappears from the work

What makes promotions like this feel punishing is not just boredom or frustration. It is the loss of meaning. The person points out that in their old assistant role, they already managed most files on their own. The promotion removed responsibility rather than expanding it. The title changed, but the work no longer reflected their skills.

Feeling trapped after saying yes

There is also the feeling of being trapped. A non-compete clause limits external options. There is no trial period to reassess fit. “It’s not at all what they sold me,” the user writes. Declining the promotion was not presented as an option, and accepting it has led to regret that feels difficult to reverse.

How promotions spill into personal life

The story also mirrors how promotions often ignore the broader context of an employee’s life. The transfer required the user to move back in with their parents and abandon a volunteer commitment they were excited about.

“I was super motivated by this project,” they say, describing their plan to supervise a group of young scouts. A last-minute relocation forced them to give it up. The promotion changed not just work, but identity and routine.

A common flaw in how advancement is designed

These experiences mirror a pattern in professional life. Advancement is still treated as a single upwards ladder. When someone performs well, they are pushed to the next rung, regardless of whether it matches their strengths or goals.

Authority increases, but agency does not always follow. Responsibility is promised, yet withheld. The result is disengagement.

What employers often overlook

For employers, the lesson is not that promotions are mistakes. It is that promotions without clarity and support create damage. Employees need to know what their new role actually entails. They need meaningful work during transitions, not months of waiting. They need the option to grow without being removed from what they do well.

Why disappointment after promotion is valid

For employees, stories like this one might offer validation. Feeling disappointed after a promotion does not mean ingratitude or failure. “I finally feel punished in a corner,” the Reddit user writes, and it's a revealing conclusion. When advancement strips away purpose, connection, and choice, the title alone is not enough to make it feel like progress.