A 38-year-old employee, referred to as “A,” reached out to a certified labor attorney for advice, saying, “I can’t sleep because my company is forcing me into a managerial role. I’d rather focus quietly on the work I’m already doing than take on a promotion that comes with heavier responsibilities and the pressure to meet everyone’s expectations. If I refuse the position, could I be fired? Would I lose my severance pay?”
Labor attorneys and employment law specialists report a significant rise in inquiries about refusing promotions, both from employees and employers.
A contrasting trend is emerging as the end-of-year appraisal season draws near—a period when employees highlight their accomplishments to compete for promotions.
In the 1980s television series exploring workplace dynamics, the character Lee Jang-su, a white-haired manager stuck in a perpetual mid-level role, symbolized the frustrations of navigating pressures from both demanding superiors and insistent subordinates.
Today, an increasing number of employees are turning down promotions to positions like department head or executive despite the prestige such titles traditionally carry. This trend, known as “conscious unbossing,” signals a shift in workplace dynamics. In an era marked by limited growth prospects and widespread uncertainty, many are hesitant to take on the added responsibilities and pressures that come with leadership roles.
The term “unbossing” describes a growing trend of reluctance or hesitation to step into mid- to senior-level management positions. This shift reflects modern workplace values, including an emphasis on work-life balance and the rise of “quiet quitting,” a concept that gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Quiet quitting refers to doing only the bare minimum required at work, with little emotional engagement or investment in the role.
The U.S. business publication Forbes recently highlighted a rise in unfilled managerial positions, noting, “The assumption that the most experienced and capable employees will naturally step into leadership roles is now outdated.”
A recruitment platform survey revealed that over half of Millennial and Gen Z employees in their 20s and 30s have no interest in pursuing executive roles. The most frequently cited reason was the “burdensome responsibilities” associated with leadership, followed by concerns about the low likelihood of promotion, fears of losing work-life balance, and a lack of long-term commitment to their current companies.
In many organizations, particularly corporations and public institutions, mid-level management roles are increasingly viewed as overburdened positions with minimal rewards. These roles often require juggling complaints from both superiors and subordinates, with all conflicts seemingly converging on the manager’s desk.
The compensation for such positions rarely matches the benefits top executives or business owners enjoy. Consequently, mid-level managers are often labeled as “stuck in the middle,” while executives are sometimes referred to as “temporary staff.” Unlike in the past, when the label “lifelong mid-level manager” was seen as an insult, terms like “low-stress assistant manager” or “balanced-workload Grade 9 civil servant” are now regarded as desirable.
An increasing number of employees see management roles as a deviation from their career expertise. A 30-something employee at a major IT company remarked, “Management is an entirely different track from the skills I’ve developed. It distances me from hands-on work and alters my career trajectory.” He added that he doesn’t consider executive positions a form of career progression.
His colleagues echoed similar sentiments, saying, “They promote you just to pile responsibilities on you and fire you faster,” “I have no intention of staying with this company long-term like our seniors,” “It’s much more comfortable at the bottom,” and “I’d rather leave work early to focus on a side hustle or just relax.” For employees with this mindset, promises of climbing the corporate ladder as a reward for loyalty hold little appeal.
C, a manager at a mid-sized company who was promoted to department head earlier than his peers, admitted, “The initial excitement of the promotion didn’t last. My work-life balance is now a fraction of what it used to be. I miss the days when I could focus solely on my own work.” He also noted that while his salary and benefits increased only slightly, his personal expenses for upholding reputation at work—such as attending colleagues’ events—significantly grew. On top of this, balancing pressure from superiors with frustrations voiced by subordinates, often anonymously on workplace forums, began to take a toll on his health.
