My husband and I worked for the federal government a few years back. At that time, the feds offered a program called the STEP (Student Temporary Employment Program). STEP employees had to maintain a C average and 6 units in order to maintain eligibility. Once a STEP graduated or left school, they were no longer eligible for employment. The feds also had a program called the SCEP (Student Career Experience Program), which was a career-track arrangement. A person on a SCEP agreed to complete a course of study, which could be a vocational program, a certificate program, a training course, a college degree, or anything like that. Once the course of study was complete, the employee was eligible for non-competitive hiring status throughout the federal system.
My first work site promised me a SCEP before I was hired, but didn't lift a finger for the nine months I worked there. I was transferred and my new boss immediately promised me a SCEP. Five months later, he mentioned the SCEP again, this time looking me directly in the eye and telling me he was going to do the SCEP. He was accepting a promotion, but said he would get me my contract before he left. This supervisor liked to manipulate people and circumstances, but I thought he was being straight with me on this. Surely he wouldn't lead me on about something so important.
Three months went by and I heard nothing about my paperwork. I surmised that the paperwork was winding its way through the bureaucracy. I asked my supervisor, who looked into it. The former boss had completed my paperwork, then told his secretary not to turn it in. Neither of them told anyone that he had decided to do this. I was set to graduate before anyone could be hired to complete my paperwork.
On the other hand, the former manager had zealously obtained a SCEP for another employee who did almost no work and was notorious for damaging equipment. She was given a SCEP after four months with the agency after I had to work with her on a project, which I did 95% on my own. The manager used the project to promote her.
I was with the agency for over two years. I was well-liked among the staff, good at my job, and got excellent employee evaluations. The public reacted positively to me and I worked well with the rest of the staff. That was my "fuck this" moment, but I decided to hold off on "I quit" until my eligibility expired. I wasn't about to make it easy on them. I made sure to do excellent work and, if anyone asked, I was candid about why I was leaving. Every temporary manager, every supervisor, and every area manager was made aware of what the former manager had done. None of them wanted me to leave, but none of them were willing or able to restart the paperwork process.
As I said, my husband worked for the same agency. He saw firsthand how I had been treated. He worked hard, learned as much as he could, earned some very valuable skills and certifications, and became vitally important to the site. Then, when the time was right, he transferred out. They scrambled to hire outside contractors to do the work he had done.
If they had simply followed through, they would have had two good, loyal, hardworking employees. Now they have neither of us. Both of us have gone onto much more pleasant and lucrative careers.