DH employer delaying promotion...any advice?

[downpipewinedark]

DH took a role in a new company after being made redundant just over a year ago. It's for an organisation he's always wanted to work for, and he took a bit of a salary cut and was hired into a position that he was a bit overqualified for. The company knew this. They absolutely courted him - and effectively created a role for him - with the promise that he would be promoted to his previous salary and title level 'within 3 to six months'.

That time frame came and went for various given reasons. They assured him that promotion would happen 'by the end of the year', and then 'in the new year', and now, here we are in almost-May. Now apparently, the promotion was just about to be signed off, but there is currently a 'freeze' because of the 'economic crisis' that is impacting this big global company.

I don't doubt these are uncertain times for his employer, but I think they are taking the absolute piss. We are talking raising his salary by about 20k max per annum, which I struggle to believe makes any kind of difference to this massive company on any level. DH is actually DOING the more senior role now - and everyone is constantly singing his praises and saying how valuable he is...but they aren't paying him at a level that aligns to the role.

He has apparently articulated his frustration to them, but gets pretty defensive when I attempt to discuss it. He's seen various friends our age (late 40s) lose senior jobs and struggle to find anything else. The redundancy before spooked him a lot I think.

But meanwhile, we are limping along on our reduced household income and this endless carrot dangling seems really questionable. Has anyone faced similar and what did you do? Would really appreciate some advice...

I’m not sure there is much he can do. There’s no legal obligation to promote him. He has voiced his concerns. However, he landed a new job fairly quickly so he may as well look for another whilst he’s being strung along.

The only way they might promote him is if he gets another job offer and hands in his notice. But hopefully he'll realise by then how they've treated him and will take the new job anyway.

Either way, he needs to get job hunting.

Thanks @curious79 . He doesn't want to leave tbh - it's a good company (well, in some ways!) and he is happy there. He did indeed find this new role quickly, but he's not in an industry where such roles are easily found. I am confident the company do not want to lose him...but equally, they kind of have him over a barrel don't they? I just wonder if there is a clever way to make them get on with it.

The clever way to make them get on with it is get an offer from elsewhere, and ask them to match it or he’ll leave.

Other than that, large organisations are often notorious for this. The immediate management probably have genuine intentions but don’t have the authority to create additional roles. So they say what they’re hoping for which is ‘soon’.

He could consider saying he’ll stop working at the Highers level, but that may not be constructive in the longer run.

@ArtTheClownIsNotAMime - the issue is that it's quite hard for him to look for new roles - a) because it's an industry where people tend to 'talk' and word could well get out before he's secured anything, b) because he's extremely busy doing this f-ing job they aren't paying him properly for...and c) because he doesn't really want to find a new role! He wants to stay where he is, but be paid properly.

@ScaryM0nster - thanks. Interested in what you say about large companies being notorious for this - can you expand?

It’s hard to say without knowing the industry but you can’t force them to promote him. Ultimately he needs to get another better offer if he wants to hold their feet to the fire

Large companies tend to have roles, recruitment and appointment processes controlled by central HR teams. Whereas small organisations tend to have managers who have more autonomy on how they manage their team delivery and overall costs.

So in the larger org you’ll get a manager who’s really keen for something to happen, but ultimately doesn’t have the power to make it happen. They may want to create a higher level role, or regrade the one your husband is in - but if that isn’t something they’ve got the power to do they’ve got to go through the relevant approval process. Which tends to be slow, and often just say no. Eg. Any time theres cost challenges, reorga or business changes under consideration.

Was there anything written into his offer or contract that he would get a raise or promotion after 6 months? If not then the only way would be via a counter offer by them if he secures another job offer and says he is off.

Is it a large organisation, are there any published promotion criteria he can demonstrate he has met and ask when the next round of promotion boards is?

Thanks everyone. Industry is media. There was nothing written into his contract - I’ve actually never heard of guaranteed promotion inked in tbh - but it was verbally articulated many, many times.

It was one of the reasons he took the role in the first place, because he trusted what they said…obviously that was a mistake.

I know legally there is nothing he can do, and equally the most powerful way would be to go to them with another external job offer and be prepared to walk. But is there any less aggressive way to go about it? I think part of the problem is that his boss keeps making verbal promises that don’t materialise…

@UghFletcher - it is a large organisation yes. He has exceeded all his targets and is clearly now doing a job that is more senior than his pay grade and title. But I’m not sure there is any ‘published promotion criteria’. Is there usually in large organisations? Please forgive my ignorance- I’ve worked freelance for years and the last large corporate I was at was 20 years ago!

Also, his company just published revenue results for the last financial year. Everything is up quite significantly. So I’m finding it hard to believe talk of a ‘crisis’…thoughts?

I get that but this company is not going to promote him until they're forced. So he can stay in the role doing £20k of work for free or he can force their hand by threatening to leave or he can actually leave. Those are the choices.

Why is he doing the senior role without the pay and the title? That weakens his argument for a promotion to be honest. If he's prepared to do the senior role for 20k less whilst "waiting on a promotion" they're not going to be in a massive hurry to spend more on him doing the same job.

Since he's discussed it with them already and got nowhere, another job offer is the best bargaining tool. If he doesn't want to push or leave, then he either stays where he is or gets a different role in the company or in another company.

My work has no senior roles until someone leaves and no budget in the current climate for more. I was doing senior work but not getting paid for it. Faced with waiting around or findinh a different job, I've gone on secondment to a senior position in a different agency. It may not be an option for your DH but maybe something similar? Otherwise, just apply for something elsewhere.

He is going to find it easier to get a job when employed now vs when he was redundant

My advice get applying and interviewing.
If he likes the company he's at he can take them the offer and let them counter. If they like him 19 in 20 they'll match.

He should put the senior role on his CV (as acting head of blah)

I "made" my.dh do this when being similarly being dicked about over a deferred 10k payrise which wasn't materialising. He hated the new job he was offered so was never going to take it but it worked and his company countered.

OP, there is nothing anyone on here can say which will make that job magically appear.

His only bargaining power is to show wiling to leave the company.

It doesn’t matter how often his bosses say anything. They aren’t obliged to deliver on this and as pp have said, they may not have the power to deliver on it.

Why would they promote him, he's already doing the job for less money? Am sure they're very happy with this arrangement. He'll need to speak to his boss or threaten to leave.

Just Rtft

Media is notorious for this nonsense.
I know firsthand.

Srill recommend Get out there and get interviewing. If they find out it might scare them straight.

This. His manager may not be lying to him and probably genuinely wants to promote him, but is coming up against a 'computer says no' from HR or senior management.

Sorry OP, I don't think there's a clever solution to this that you have missed.

Sorry OP as others have said he has nothing to force their hands. He has nothing at hand contractually and as awful as it sounds he is at the mercy of the organisation as there is nothing in his contract. If he matches the offer with a higher one and threaten to leave then they may at least understand that they will have to go through the tedious and costly recruitment process all over, but even then they may not care. Been working in another industry notorious for this for 20 years now and seen loads of people fall out and leave after big promises by the organisation. Unfortunately it doesn’t make a massive difference for the organisation, capitalism 😒 and never ever ever trust a promise by them unless you see it in writing in a signed contract, it’s very often just to get the person work even harder for less.

There has been lots of this in my company this last 12 months. We’ve had a big exec team etc. All of this slowed things down. Now add in the tariff stuff and yes, the company is in panic mode, full recruitment freeze etc. Our record profits, would not indicate any panic but as they want to keep the profit margins high, they are making cuts elsewhere.

Thanks everyone. It's so difficult and I'm feeling very stressed about it tbh. We have just about managed on the reduction to household income but all our costs have gone up lately - as they have for so many - and this month we are almost into the red.

He is obviously unhappy with the situation but is very difficult to talk to about it. He thinks I am being demanding and pushy, but I think I am being reasonable? He repeatedly assured me things would 'feel tight for 3-6 months' and now it's been like this for over a year. I want to be supportive but equally I am utterly sick of this and worrying all the time.

This is classic behaviour from media companies. They are long on flattery and absolute shysters on pay. Renowned for giving people ridiculous titles, often with extra flourishes in brackets - Senior Executive Editor (Special Projects, Pullouts and Paperclips) - to compensate for actually giving you the money in your pocket they said they would.

It’s a good thing if he starts looking around and people gossip about it. He wants the word to get out that he won’t be taken for a mug any longer and he is confident of his talents. Loyalty means very little in the media world. They are shafting him atm and will only stop if they think he is about to stop being the shaftee. He needs to do a convincing job of playing the field and being prepared to move on even though he is enjoying the role day-to-day.

In what way do you think you’re being reasonable? Now you’re aware that there's not a simple solution that’s been overlooked.

He can’t magic up a promotion opportunity that doesn’t exist. He can’t force them to pay him more (unless he’s below minimum wage but I’m inferring that’s not the case).

He got a new job after being made redundant. Yes, it’s not earning what you’d like it to but that doesn’t mean he’s not being reasonable in the circumstances. You’d almost certainly be in a worse off financial position had he not taken this and kept looking for something at the pay you’d like it to be.

I mean this kindly, but it sounds like it’s time to face up to the reality and stop hanging out for a promotion in this role on how you manage household budget. So adjust things to make life work to the current budget. Cut subscriptions, cut memberships, adjust lifestyle spend like going out for meals, driving everywhere, clothes shopping etc. You can hope it’s temporary, but need to adjust budget to reflect that it needs to be sustainable if this is the long term. As a build from that, you look at what options are for everyone in the household to improve the financial situation. That may be looking for promotions with current employer, it might be getting a job if currently work, it might be reducing expenses, it might be looking for new jobs. But when you do that bit, you recognise that can’t do them all at once and together need to pick the priorities and where each will focus their efforts.