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...

@ScaryM0nster - thank you. The problem is, we have done all that. Tightened the belt immensely, and reduced our outgoings as far as possible. I am working my own arse off trying to improve matters also.

Where I think he is unreasonable is his defensiveness and refusal to discuss it calmly with me at this point, following repeated reassurances that things will improve. I know this isn't his 'fault' as he is being messed around, and I know that he doesn't feel great about the situation, but we are a family and need to work as a team.

It’s fair to be frustrated at not engaging in a conversation.

If that conversation is solely about why he hasn’t had a promotion yet, and why he hasn’t made it happen then it’s not overly surprising he gets defensive.

Maybe Approaching it as planning a time to sit down and work through how to make things work longer term (rather than why aren’t you earning more yet), with some sympathy that he’s in a rubbish position. He’s no doubt feeling like he’s failed, that rarely brings out the best in people.

See I can see the exact situation happening at my work place which is a ftse 250 company that made a lot of profit last year. Although it's frustrating it is most probably not his direct management level but as he says bigger global politics in the company. I don't think its helpful to look at just 20k for him as they will of frozen all promotions.

I went on secondment last June with a view to making my secondment role permanent within 3/6 months. What actually happened was that the organisation sold off one of its businesses in July and made people in that area redundant. Whilst they were happy to keep extending my secondment they wouldn't make my job permanent whilst dealing with the job losses or redundancies - which is fair enough. They did however make my job permanent after 9mnths which was a year after it was first discussed with me. I actually found talking to other people and my parents really difficult as they just couldn't believe that they company were every going to make me permanent, I understand why he's getting defensive. Larger companies do bring a lot of politics and layers of HR.

Of course he should be able to talk about it calmly, but I guess the reason he gets defensive is that he feels discussing it doesn't change anything. You both want him to be paid more, neither of you can do a lot to make that happen (beyond what he's already done, i.e. talk to his manager about it), he doesn't want to apply for other jobs, he feels like he's letting you down, and discussing it makes him feel even worse. It's a really difficult and stressful situation for both of you.