For generations, a promotion has been treated as the obvious next step: a better title, more money, more authority, and a sign that an employee is moving forward.
But new research suggests many workers are now questioning whether the next rung on the career ladder is really worth it – especially if it comes with the red flags of an AI-era workplace.
A snapshot poll of 500 employees by Careerminds, a global outplacement and career development firm, found that 39% of Indiana employees would reject what could be described as a “toxic promotion”: a role that came with increased AI-driven performance tracking, more productivity monitoring, responsibility for checking or correcting AI-generated work, or pressure to deliver more output using AI without additional support.
The finding builds on Careerminds’ earlier research into “promotion pushback,” which found that among Indiana employees who had been offered a promotion in the past year, nearly 1 in 3 had turned it down. This equates to 52,569 people.
Together, the findings suggest that workers are not simply becoming less ambitious. Instead, many appear to be making a more practical calculation about what promotion now means in the modern workplace. The issue is no longer just whether a new role comes with more stress, longer hours, or people management responsibilities.
Increasingly, employees may also be asking whether advancement means becoming more monitored, more exposed, and more accountable for AI-driven systems they do not fully control.
Before AI, moving up usually meant more responsibility, more visibility, and more pressure. But in today’s workplace, a promotion may also bring productivity dashboards, AI performance scoring, automated monitoring, responsibility for reviewing AI-generated work, and expectations to use AI to increase output without extra resources.
That could make some promotions feel less like recognition and more like risk.
The original research, based on a survey of 3,017 employees, found that promotion reluctance is already widespread.
The reasons employees gave for rejecting, or considering rejecting, a promotion were largely practical. Nearly one in four said they were happy with their current work-life balance and did not want to disrupt it. Others said the pay increase would not justify the extra responsibility; they did not want more stress, longer hours, or to manage other people.
But the new toxic promotion finding suggests AI may now be adding another layer of concern. For employers, the message is clear: promotion is no longer automatically viewed as a reward. If a new role comes with vague expectations, heavier monitoring, responsibility for AI outputs, or pressure to do more with less, employees may decide the title and salary bump are not enough.
Study results
“Promotions have traditionally been viewed as an automatic win for employees, but these findings suggest many workers are taking a much closer look at what that next step actually means for their day-to-day quality of life,” says Amanda Augustine, a Certified Professional Career Coach and resident career expert for Careerminds.
“A better title alone may not feel worth it if the role also comes with longer hours, higher stress levels, increased monitoring, or a poorer work-life balance.
“For employers, this is an important signal. When employees turn down advancement opportunities, it doesn’t necessarily mean they lack ambition. In many cases, it means the role being offered doesn’t feel sustainable, clearly defined, or fairly compensated for the level of responsibility involved.
“As AI becomes more embedded in the workplace, employers also need to think carefully about how new responsibilities are being framed. If promotion starts to mean more monitoring, more accountability for AI-generated work, or greater pressure to justify output, some employees may see advancement as a liability rather than an opportunity.”
