>Get the intel (factual) that these other offices need people
>and have the spots for you to move in. Refer to them by
>position/location, even point to postings if listed on line.

>Send these to him via email and refer to the initial denial in
>the email.

>If he gives you ANY excuse afterwards that doesn't include
>inside knowledge on the roles (promised to other hardship
>cases, postings are outdated and those roles aren't open
>anymore as transfers have already been processed, etc.) then
>forward that chain to his manager and explain your situation.

This one is tough because it’s not a case of literal openings that would be on a job board or something, but a matter of having more work than manpower in their office. To that end, every office could conceivably say they need more workers. Plus, this is a county job and not a private sector job, thus run in stereotypical bureaucratic form. They do have empty desks, thus room to add more people. There are ‘openings’ in the general sense that there are a certain number of slots that we’ve budgeting for new applicants, but those people are then assigned an office. The ‘problem’ is that there’s a waiting list for each office and those lists just sort of sit there. My friend is going to check out the list and the orders of people, and she says the situation as described would definitely count as a ‘move mountains’ scenario, especially since we’re both county employees with significant tenure (she’s ten years, I’m right on five). She said this is exactly the sort of thing they try to accommodate as much as possible. I’ve heard that our office is a different world though, and she agrees. She would know since she came from this office, which is how I know her.

>In that email, explain that you'd like to keep it private so
>that your current manager doesn't feel undermined and that
>you're just trying to do what's best for your family. If it's
>not possible, you understand but if it is, you'd very strongly
>like to be considered for the hardship case.
>If that answer is no at that point, no harm, no foul. Your
>current manager doesn't grow further animosity at you and you
>can just look for a new gig while making more plausible
>current arrangements (I agree with Rex on the car, especially
>if wifey got a promotion. Should be a lil extra cake to
>afford it).

What sucks is the promotion won't yield a raise for like a year and a half. She’s topped out at her previous position and the new position starts off at a lower rate, so she doesn’t get a raise until her new position has caught up to her current pay. I’ve heard a few variants on how this works though, but that seems to be the prevailing one I hear from others in that position. We'll see though.