HR advice needed...

[Kels13]

So today at work I got turned down for a payrise. I've worked at my company for over a year. I've worked my arse off which has resulted in me getting personal thanks and recognition from our CEO and my Group Director. Previous to me announcing my pregnancy my director was talking to me about a future promotion and the company are putting me through a diploma. Today I got told that I should see them paying for the diploma as a pay rise and there has been no further mention of a promotion... What would you do? I can't help thinking now that I'm pregnant I'm being completely looked over and cast aside.

I don't think there's much you can do. Discrimination against pregnancy is ridiculously hard to prove. In order to make a more knowledgeable decision you would have to find out about the pay decisions made for everyone especially those at the same level as you, you would have to ask everyone what they had been given. I don't know many people who would be willing to give away such personal information away. I think you're just going to have to be grateful they are paying for the diploma. We're currently waiting to see if dh is getting a pay rise or cut with the new contract consultations.

That's completely crap - I'm sorry. Could you ask someone why a "promotion" had been mentioned but no payrise has been forthcoming? Indicate that this had been implied previously?

Also, are you in a union?

I agree with previous poster that it's really hard to prove - was the conversation about a promotion verbal or over email? Just wondered if you had anything written down which you could refer back to.

Thanks for your comments. Unfortunately the discussion was just verbal. The suggestion of a promotion came about after me working my butt off so it came as a shock today for no payrise to be agreed. Feel like pre pregnancy they were out to keep me and invest in me but now they have no interest as they know I'll be off on mat leave n a few months. Doesn't help that both my director and manager are interim so both looking short term at their bottom line... Feel stuck and angry!

I don't blame you for feeling angry; it's infuriating!

Could you speak to someone higher up and reiterate your concerns? Something like "I have really enjoyed my time here, feel I've been successful with x project which I worked so hard on. I'm slightly disappointed to hear that a payrise isn't going to happen when it was mentioned after x project." And then add that you see a long term future for yourself at the company but have career ambitions, so could they say now if they had any thoughts on opportunities for development / you contributing to the company more, or how likely do they think might be on your return?

Depends how you feel but you could raise a grievance...

I agree with Waffles80, speak to someone and make sure you wrote this conversation down. Write everything down in a notebook with dates and times if you need it further down the line. But if a pay rise was mentioned before but then turned down now that your pregnant, I would be unhappy too!

I'm a HR Manager.

Same as Waffles really but you should speak to whoever you had the conversation with first and mention the promotion. Why isn't what they promised happening now?

It's difficult given its verbal, but verbal can still be binding. It depends on whether the manager admits to discussing the matter with you.