There is a not yet confirmed news that some people from my department will be on load to another department. Our department is running out of project while the other department is short on staff. The loaning program makes very good sense as corporate strategy and it happens before. Just somehow everyone being loaned to another department hate it and swear they are not going through it again. It is not about the heavy workload. Workload itself is not necessary bad, as long as your hard work is rewarded and appreciated. In this company, all the loaners never receive above average in performance review and simply kiss their promotion goodbye while they are on-loan.  The loaner’s hard work just goes down in vain.

We can’t really blame the manager for being unfair, they just behave rationally according to the system and play by the rules. In this company, we have a quota system on performance evaluation and promotion. Each manager can nominate some of his sub-ordinary to receive excellent ranking or promotion, but at the same time they have to give names to fill the low performer quota.  The loaner still report to his original boss under the corporate structure, but the loaning boss will write his evaluation.  Assuming most workers are equally good, so whom will receive all the good evaluation and promotion quota?  Those who are likely to work with you in the next project or outsiders will disappear after one project?  Let’s make an analogy, say you are a parent handing out Christmas gifts. Will you flavor your own kids or the neighbor’s kids just happen to drop by?  No one wants to be a loaner, but too bad that it is not up to us, the lowly workers, to decide whether be a loaner or not.  We can only pray that we will not be drafted by the managers, sent to the front line as a cannon fodder.