Employment advice- misled on offer?

[ineedanotherholiday]

Hi,

Can anyone help please? I've been offered a new role with my existing employer.

I queued a few things with HR and accepted the offer in writing after having written confirmation that certain benefits would be honoured in new role & would be moving to same grade. I have not signed a new contract and will just be issued an updated version.

All fine, until I'm speaking with someone who works in new department. It turns out that my grade in new department is split into two levels. For example: I'm currently a senior manager looking to go to director, I made it clear to HR this was on the cards for me soon but due to reasons in my current role I wish to move positions. The new role is offered at senior manager position but since accepting Ive found out there are two levels of senior manager - level 1 and level 2. This was not told to me by HR.

Queuing with HR they have confirmed this is the case and I am moving to level 1. This has therefore put another step between myself and director and moved me further away from the higher level of benefits that come with director grade. I'm going to check but it is likely the banding for level 1 and 2 senior manager is not equivalent to director in my current department with the added benefits.

Aibu to think I should have been told this information beforehand? I have based the decision thinking it was a straight move. Is there anything I can do about this?

Tia

So you are currently on level 2 Senior management? Is your salary the same as it is now and as you were told before you accepted? What's the difference between L1 and L2? Do L2 line manage L2?
Do you have to become L2 before you go to director or can you go L1 to director?

To me it sounds like the offer is as they suggested and is the same as you've got now, but there's another in between level you weren't aware of. If that doesn't actually impact you and your terms, I think that you're prob being slightly unreasonable in moaning but you can always request you go back to your old role if you'd rather have that then the current job.

@Cuppa12345 thanks for your response.

To answer some of your questions. L2 don't line manage L1's but yes you're right in that now I have to become L2 before I become director by moving to this grade.

The move is same grade in that it's a senior manager but in current department there is no l1 or l2 senior manager, it's senior manager and then director, which is the oath I'm on. I was not aware in new department that was not the case and this wasn't mentioned by HR.

Salary wise there is no difference in pay when I move. However if I got director in current role I would be earning £10k more than now. In new role it is very likely that l2 is nowhere near £10k more and so I don't feel that is equitable. I am however clarifying this as again I am not aware of the banding having not been aware of the difference in grading structure.

@Cuppa12345 I'm currently on L1 SM but there is no L2 for my current department, next step is director.

I think you either need to keep your old job and be on the shorter path to director or accept this new job (which has the benefit presumably of not having the issues you are moving from in your old role) and be on their path. As this is a sideways move for you and not a promotion there isn't really another option: they can't promote you to L2 for any other reason than you want to be one step away from director.

If your issue is that you didn't know before accepting; would knowing have meant you decided to stay where you were. If that's the case then I'd say to your HR team that you wouldn't have accepted it had you known and know you do, you want to return to your own role. If you just have an issue that they didn't mention it but it wouldn't have changed your decision, just make them aware for next time.

Is this public sector - sounds like CS maybe? If so can you get another level transfer to a different department where you can get directly promoted to director?

Thanks both.

No it's not public sector.

It would have certainly made me consider the offer even more so as I had another two job offers on the table at the time.

Yes to clarify my issue is that it was never explained to me by HR that the grading system was different. It was sold to me as a straight move sideways. I therefore assumed the next step was director as it would be In My current role.

Can you ask for a a timescale of how you could progress to a L2 in x amount of months when you move

So your career progression is clear

I can see you're frustrated but it sounds like it's too late to do anything without burning bridges. presume you would progress to l2 quicker than to director? so it might take you a little longer but not the equivalent of 2 full steps.

It would have certainly made me consider the offer even more so as I had another two job offers on the table at the time.

Yes, but what would you have actually done? Would you have still taken the job? If so, we'll, you're no worse off now having taken it and then found out. If you would have turned it down because of this genuinely, then I think speak to hr about returning to your old role.

Tbf it is a straight move as you are level 1 now it's just you weren't aware that there was a level 2 in new dept. Hr probably weren't aware you weren't aware iyswim.