u/Both_Television_4231

I have been with my company for the past 4.5 years, and until September 2025, things were going well. I genuinely enjoyed my work, my team, and the environment.

For context, the people who raised complaints against me were previously my colleagues. I was first promoted to SME and then Team Lead, so my manager has worked directly with all of us over the years and knows everyone's work. The employee I recommended was eligible for the promotion. Both my manager and I believed he was ready based on his performance, knowledge, leadership, and the way he handled the team whenever I wasn't available.

The issue was that he had less tenure than others in the batch, and several team members believed promotions should go to people with more tenure rather than better performance. Looking back, I do accept that I didn't explain clearly enough to the team why he had been chosen. My manager knew the reasons because he had also supported the recommendation.

That's when the politics started.

Some team members accused me of favouring him, even though my decision was based entirely on performance. Before this incident, my manager had never questioned how I worked. We had worked together for four years, and he knew my work ethic, integrity, and how seriously I took my responsibilities.

But once complaints were raised against me, everything changed.

Instead of hearing my side, he accepted what the majority had to say. The trust we had built over the years seemed to disappear overnight. He started making comments about my job security and began treating me differently.

When the complaints were first mentioned, I asked if I could see exactly what had been written about me. I wasn't trying to find out who had complained—I wanted to understand what I had supposedly done wrong so I could learn from it if I had genuinely made mistakes.

My manager told me there were written complaints but said that if I insisted on seeing them, HR would have to get involved and it could negatively affect my performance rating. He also assured me that as long as I didn't pursue it further, the complaints would not affect my appraisal. I trusted him and let it go.

Later, during my appraisal, my rating was marked down anyway. There wasn't even an appraisal discussion. I had no opportunity to understand the reasoning or explain my side. Looking back, I honestly regret trusting my manager.

Around the same time, the team member I had recommended and I became aware that some people were actively trying to stop his promotion. When I brought this to my manager's attention, he dismissed it, saying nobody was trying to stop it.

What hurts the most is that my manager knows these people. He has worked directly with all of them and has personally seen the difference in performance between them and the person I recommended. Before all of this happened, he himself wanted to promote this employee and had even suggested that a few of the lower performers should eventually be moved out of the team. That's why his complete change after the complaints has been so difficult for me to understand.

He later expected me to promote one of the employees who had complained against me. I explained that promoting her wouldn't really help either the team or me because she still required constant guidance and I had to double-check almost everything she did. Instead of reducing my workload, it would increase it. In the end, not only was the deserving employee's promotion stopped, but my own promotion was also put on hold.

One incident still stays with me.

During our office party, after receiving an award for continuous excellent work, I overheard my manager talking to HR about my demotion. A few days later, while we were working in the office, he casually said, "I need to remove either you or that girl—whoever is the easier target."

That broke me.

After years of putting work before myself, giving extra hours whenever needed, and trying to do the right thing, hearing those words from someone who had worked with me for years was incredibly painful.

What surprises me most is how much this experience has affected me. In over four years with the company, I had never cried at work. But after the complaints, being portrayed so negatively, and not even being given the opportunity to explain my side, I completely broke down. I even cried in front of my manager, something I never imagined I would do.

I don't cry easily, and I've never used my emotions to gain sympathy. But when people I trusted and genuinely cared about turned against me, it became too much to hold in. What hurt even more was my manager's response. He didn't say anything directly, but his expressions made me feel as though my feelings didn't matter and that I should simply accept it and move on.

Instead of discussing the concerns with me or helping me understand what had changed, he simply started telling me to do things that I had already been doing. When I tried explaining that I was already following those practices, he wasn't willing to listen. At that point, I accepted it like a defeated warrior because I felt there was nothing more I could say that would change his mind.

The employee who had openly spoken against me during the office party—telling both old and new colleagues how incompetent I supposedly was—is now suddenly being unusually kind and friendly towards me again. Around the same time, she was also telling people that she would be getting promoted soon.

Over the past several months, I've found myself living in survival mode. I can't focus on my work the way I used to because the politics consume my mind. Even small mistakes scare me because I'm constantly wondering what action might be taken against me. I live with an ongoing fear of losing my job.

I hate working like this.

So now I'm focusing on what I can control. I'm pursuing professional certifications, preparing for a transition into Project Management, networking, and trying to seek guidance from my senior manager and director. They know things haven't been going well, and at least my senior manager understands much more of what has actually happened. I'm also planning to have an honest conversation with him.

I genuinely hoped to stay with this company much longer because the culture I joined was very different from what it has become today.

I know office politics exist everywhere, and I know this won't be the last difficult situation I'll face in my career. I'm not looking for validation. I genuinely want to understand whether there are things I could have handled differently and how experienced leaders navigate situations like this without letting them consume them emotionally.

For those of you who have managed teams or led organisations:

• Is there something I could have handled differently?
• If you had been my manager, how would you have handled this situation?
• How do you rebuild trust when your manager has already formed an opinion about you? Or should I?
• How do you protect both your reputation and your mental well-being while you're still working in an environment like this?

I'm genuinely open to hearing honest feedback, even if it's difficult to hear. I want to learn and become a better leader from this experience.

I have been with my company for the past 4.5 years, and until September 2025, things were going well. I genuinely enjoyed my work, my team, and the environment. That changed when I decided to promote one of my team members based on merit.

This team member had consistently demonstrated the capability, knowledge, and leadership needed for the role. Both my manager and I believed he was ready. However, because he had less tenure than others in the batch, several team members felt they deserved the opportunity instead. That's when the politics started.

Some team members accused me of favouring him, even though my decision was based entirely on performance. Before this incident, my manager had never questioned how I worked. We had worked together for four years, and he knew my work ethic, integrity, and how seriously I took my responsibilities.

But once complaints were raised against me, everything changed.

Instead of hearing my side, he accepted what the majority had to say. The trust we had built over the years seemed to disappear overnight. He started making comments about my job security and began treating me differently.

When the complaints were first mentioned, I asked if I could see exactly what had been written about me. My manager told me there were written complaints but said that if I insisted on seeing them, HR would have to get involved and it could negatively affect my performance rating. He also assured me that as long as I didn't pursue it further, the complaints would not affect my appraisal. I trusted him and let it go.

Later, during my appraisal, my rating was marked down anyway. There wasn't even an appraisal discussion. I had no opportunity to understand the reasoning or explain my side. Looking back, I honestly regret trusting my manager.

Around the same time, the team member I had recommended for promotion and I became aware that some people were actively trying to stop his promotion. When I brought this to my manager's attention, he dismissed it, saying that nobody was trying to stop the promotion.

What hurts the most is that my manager knows these people. He has worked directly with all of them and has personally seen the difference in performance between them and the person I recommended. Before all of this happened, he himself wanted to promote this employee and had even suggested that a few of the lower performers should eventually be moved out of the team. That's why his complete change after the complaints has been so difficult for me to understand.

He later expected me to promote one of the employees who had complained against me. I explained that promoting her wouldn't really help either the team or me. She still required constant guidance, and I would have to double-check almost everything she did. Instead of reducing my workload, it would increase it. In the end, not only was the deserving employee's promotion stopped, but my own promotion was put on hold as well.

One incident still stays with me. During our office party, after receiving an award for continuous excellent work, I overheard my manager talking to HR about my demotion. A few days later, while we were working in the office, he casually said, "I need to remove either you or that girl—whoever is the easier target" when the other team members from other teams were just beside us.

That broke me.

After years of putting work before myself, giving extra hours whenever needed, and trying to do the right thing, hearing those words from someone who had worked with me for years was incredibly painful.

What surprises me most is how much this experience has affected me. In over four years with the company, I had never cried at work. Not once. But after the complaints, being portrayed so negatively, and not even being given the opportunity to explain my side, I completely broke down. I even cried in front of my manager, something I never imagined I would do.

I don't cry easily, and I've never used my emotions to gain sympathy. But when people I trusted and genuinely cared about turned against me, it became too much to hold in. What hurt even more was my manager's response. He didn't say anything directly, but his expressions made me feel as though my feelings didn't matter and that I should simply accept it and move on.

Instead of discussing the concerns with me or helping me understand what had changed, he simply started telling me to do things that I had already been doing all along. At that point, I accepted it like a defeated warrior because I felt there was nothing more I could say that would change his mind.

The employee who had openly spoken against me during the office party—telling both old and new colleagues how incompetent I supposedly was—is now suddenly being unusually kind and friendly towards me again. Around the same time, she was also telling people that she would be getting promoted soon.

Over the past several months, I've found myself living in survival mode. I can't focus on my work the way I used to because the politics consume my mind. Even small mistakes scare me now because I'm constantly wondering what action might be taken against me. I live with an ongoing fear of losing my job, despite knowing that people around me have made far more serious mistakes than I ever have.

I hate working like this.

I've reached a point where I no longer feel motivated to give the extra effort I once did. Instead, I'm trying to focus on what I can control. I'm pursuing professional certifications, preparing myself for better opportunities, and trying to seek recommendations and guidance from my senior manager and director to support my professional growth. They are aware that things haven't been going well, and at least my senior manager knows much more about what has actually happened. I'm also planning to have an honest conversation with him.

I genuinely hoped to stay with this company for much longer because the culture I joined was very different from what it has become today.

I know office politics exist everywhere, and I know this won't be the last difficult situation I'll face in my career. I genuinely want to learn how experienced leaders handle situations like these professionally without allowing them to consume them emotionally.

For those of you who have managed teams or led organisations:

Is there something I could have handled differently?

How would you deal with a situation like this while still remaining professional?

How do you protect both your reputation and your mental well-being when you've lost your manager's trust, whether fairly or unfairly?

I'm genuinely open to hearing honest feedback, even if it's difficult to hear. I want to learn and become a better leader from this experience.

I have been with my company for the past 4.5 years, and until September 2025, things were going well. I genuinely enjoyed my work, my team, and the environment. That changed when I decided to promote one of my team members based on merit.

This team member had consistently demonstrated the capability, knowledge, and leadership needed for the role. Both my manager and I believed he was ready. However, because he had less tenure than others in the batch, several team members felt they deserved the opportunity instead. That's when the politics started.

Some team members accused me of favouring him, even though my decision was based entirely on performance. Before this incident, my manager had never questioned how I worked. We had worked together for four years, and he knew my work ethic, integrity, and how seriously I took my responsibilities.

But once complaints were raised against me, everything changed.

Instead of hearing my side, he accepted what the majority had to say. The trust we had built over the years seemed to disappear overnight. He started making comments about my job security and began treating me differently.

When the complaints were first mentioned, I asked if I could see exactly what had been written about me. My manager told me there were written complaints but said that if I insisted on seeing them, HR would have to get involved and it could negatively affect my performance rating. He also assured me that as long as I didn't pursue it further, the complaints would not affect my appraisal. I trusted him and let it go.

Later, during my appraisal, my rating was marked down anyway. There wasn't even an appraisal discussion. I had no opportunity to understand the reasoning or explain my side. Looking back, I honestly regret trusting my manager.

Around the same time, the team member I had recommended for promotion and I became aware that some people were actively trying to stop his promotion. When I brought this to my manager's attention, he dismissed it, saying that nobody was trying to stop the promotion.

What hurts the most is that my manager knows these people. He has worked directly with all of them and has personally seen the difference in performance between them and the person I recommended. Before all of this happened, he himself wanted to promote this employee and had even suggested that a few of the lower performers should eventually be moved out of the team. That's why his complete change after the complaints has been so difficult for me to understand.

He later expected me to promote one of the employees who had complained against me. I explained that promoting her wouldn't really help either the team or me. She still required constant guidance, and I would have to double-check almost everything she did. Instead of reducing my workload, it would increase it. In the end, not only was the deserving employee's promotion stopped, but my own promotion was put on hold as well.

One incident still stays with me. During our office party, after receiving an award for continuous excellent work, I overheard my manager talking to HR about my demotion. A few days later, while we were working in the office, he casually said, "I need to remove either you or that girl—whoever is the easier target" when the other team members from other teams were just beside us.

That broke me.

After years of putting work before myself, giving extra hours whenever needed, and trying to do the right thing, hearing those words from someone who had worked with me for years was incredibly painful.

What surprises me most is how much this experience has affected me. In over four years with the company, I had never cried at work. Not once. But after the complaints, being portrayed so negatively, and not even being given the opportunity to explain my side, I completely broke down. I even cried in front of my manager, something I never imagined I would do.

I don't cry easily, and I've never used my emotions to gain sympathy. But when people I trusted and genuinely cared about turned against me, it became too much to hold in. What hurt even more was my manager's response. He didn't say anything directly, but his expressions made me feel as though my feelings didn't matter and that I should simply accept it and move on.

Instead of discussing the concerns with me or helping me understand what had changed, he simply started telling me to do things that I had already been doing all along. At that point, I accepted it like a defeated warrior because I felt there was nothing more I could say that would change his mind.

The employee who had openly spoken against me during the office party—telling both old and new colleagues how incompetent I supposedly was—is now suddenly being unusually kind and friendly towards me again. Around the same time, she was also telling people that she would be getting promoted soon.

Over the past several months, I've found myself living in survival mode. I can't focus on my work the way I used to because the politics consume my mind. Even small mistakes scare me now because I'm constantly wondering what action might be taken against me. I live with an ongoing fear of losing my job, despite knowing that people around me have made far more serious mistakes than I ever have.

I hate working like this.

I've reached a point where I no longer feel motivated to give the extra effort I once did. Instead, I'm trying to focus on what I can control. I'm pursuing professional certifications, preparing myself for better opportunities, and trying to seek recommendations and guidance from my senior manager and director to support my professional growth. They are aware that things haven't been going well, and at least my senior manager knows much more about what has actually happened. I'm also planning to have an honest conversation with him.

I genuinely hoped to stay with this company for much longer because the culture I joined was very different from what it has become today.

I know office politics exist everywhere, and I know this won't be the last difficult situation I'll face in my career. I genuinely want to learn how experienced leaders handle situations like these professionally without allowing them to consume them emotionally.

For those of you who have managed teams or led organisations:

• Is there something I could have handled differently?
• How would you deal with a situation like this while still remaining professional?
• How do you protect both your reputation and your mental well-being when you've lost your manager's trust, whether fairly or unfairly?

I'm genuinely open to hearing honest feedback, even if it's difficult to hear. I want to learn and become a better leader from this experience.

I have over 13 years of experience in customer service and operations, including managing teams, improving processes, and working with stakeholders. I'm currently completing a Project Management certification and want to transition into PM.

I'd appreciate advice on a few questions:

• Which roles should I realistically target—Project Coordinator, Associate Project Manager, or Project Manager?
• How much weight do employers give to leadership experience from another field?
• If you've made a similar transition, what helped you land your first PM role?

I have 13+ years of experience in customer service and operations, including leading teams and improving processes.

I'm currently completing a project management certification and plan to transition into project management.

I'm trying to understand the following:

• Should I apply for Project Coordinator/Associate PM roles, or would mid-level PM roles be realistic given my leadership experience?
• For those who have made a similar transition, what worked for you?
• If anyone has experience with international hiring, are entry-level PM roles ever sponsored for visas?

Can I look for mid-senior level roles, or should I go for entry-level roles as I am transitioning to a new role? Also, do companies provide visa sponsorship for entry-level roles?

Any guidance would help

Can I look for mid-senior level roles, or should I go for entry-level roles as I am transitioning to a new role? Also, do companies provide visa sponsorship for entry-level roles?

Any guidance would help

Can I look for mid-senior level roles, or should I go for entry-level roles as I am transitioning to a new role? Also, do companies provide visa sponsorship for entry-level roles?”

Can I look for mid-senior level roles, or should I go for entry-level roles as I am transitioning to a new role? Also, do companies provide visa sponsorship for entry level roles?