In August 2018, I sat at my desk, the President of the Centre on the other side, feeling both alarmed, but settled on my decision. I told him that I wanted to step away from my management position and return to being an instructor. In other words, I wanted a demotion.
There were several reasons for this, but the main one was that I missed purely teaching and as the organization was poised for an explosive growth, I knew in my heart that I wasn’t the person to help lead us to the vision that our president held.
I was all right at my job, but all right wasn’t going to be of service to the school. Furthermore, there were some key parts of the job that I loathed, some I was plain poor at, and I missed being in the thick of things, solving problems as they arose instead of forecasting them (which I wasn’t so good at) and bouncing around different parts of the school as needed.
So, I stepped down. (Getting pregnant a month later rather cinched the deal).
Sound familiar? Asking for a demotion often feels counterintuitive, but more people are coming to the realization that the view from the top of the ladder is more storm clouds and pouring rain than sunshine and rainbows. There are many reasons why people want to step down and take a lower rung position, but they tend to revolve around things like needing fewer hours due to home responsibilities, not enjoying the work at all, or wanting to ease off the stress and pressure.
But… asking for a demotion? I mean, we can read ten million articles on how to ask for a promotion, raises, new titles, and so on and so forth, but how do you ask for a demotion without running the risk of getting refused or even laid off? Presumably, you still want to work for the same company so you don’t want to quit, you just don’t want the job you currently have.
We can have our cake and eat it too, I promise! (Hey, I’m still working at the centre almost four years after asking for a demotion, so the system works!)
Why Would Someone Ask for a Demotion?
There are plenty of reasons why someone may want to get demoted, especially in this day and age where many people are taking care of sick family members, elders, and children or people prefer to work remotely or don’t feel the need to climb the corporate ladder. Reasons for asking for a demotion often includes:
- Upswing in caretaking duties at home
- Wanting more of a work/life balance
- Hating the role
- High level of stress leading to health issues, anxiety, sleep problems, etc.
- Prefer doing the work of a lower rung position (I prefer writing, designing programs, and occasionally teaching. It’s not glamorous, but I like it!)
- Would prefer to be moved to an entirely different department and start over on the ladder.
And of course, many other reasons besides. The reasons tend to be quite personal, but it’s important to be clear on why you want a demotion and be ready to talk about it so that everyone is on the same page.
How to Ask for a Demotion
Assuming you are absolutely ready to get demoted, it’s time to communicate that to your manager, boss, and team. This is probably the hardest part for many people because you will have to answer questions, deal with managers or bosses who really don’t want you to step down, and hold to your decision while other people are undermining it. Even assuming everyone is quite supportive, it’s still important to make sure you communicate properly.
A few things to keep in mind when asking for a demotion:
- Be honest: Be clear and honest about why you want to get demoted. It may be something that can be solved or at least it will help everyone to know that you’re serious about it. Even if it’s for personal reasons, it’s still important to be transparent so that your boss knows what’s going and more importantly, why. If they don’t know, they are more likely to try to convince you stay where you are.
- Be open: You might not need a demotion at all – you might need a second set of eyes to help you navigate your position. It’s important to keep an open mind to what other people say, but also make sure to hold firm on why you want what you want.
- Be helpful: Nope, you absolutely want a demotion and no amount of help from your boss will change that. If that’s the course you’re taking, then make sure to ask your manager how the transition from you being in charge to someone else being in charge as easy as possible. For example, you should offer to help train your replacement and be mentally prepared to still have your position for a period of time (I put in my demotion notice in August, but I wasn’t going to Officially Step Down until January 1).
Doing these things will help to make the whole process much smoother and less stressful for everyone, yourself included.
Writing a Demotion Letter
It’s important to keep up your paper trail as you move from one position to the other, particularly when you are demoting yourself. The letter doesn’t have to be very complicated, and it certainly shouldn’t be too long. Make sure to do things like state your appreciation for giving you the position in the first place, list your reasons for requesting a demotion, discuss your plan moving forward, list any other details needed, and give your letter in person (not over email!)
Writing a demotion letter helps to keep a trail of how you have moved through the company and ensures that the business doesn’t have to worry about you getting angry when you are replaced. People sometimes feel remorseful about getting demoted after all!
While for many people, a demotion feels like something to almost be ashamed of, for many others, a demotion is the best thing possible. It allows people to stay in a company they love without keeping a position they hate until they end up hate quitting. It’s definitely a positive alternative!
Have you ever asked for a demotion? How did it go? Sound off on our Facebook page!
