'Promotion' but no pay rise - what would you do?

[Greenartywitch]

I have been with my employer for 2.5 years, a senior manager.

When I started it became clear that my duties/responsibilities were higher than what the JD and interview had suggested and that I needed to operate at a higher level.

I did that for a year then approached my manager with evidence to ask them to reevaluate my role and upgrade it to a Head of Team role. I was told that they could not do that yet as it would mean a higher salary (there are no 'bands' as such in this organisation but pay levels depending on the jobs) but that we would revisit that in year's time.

I approached my manager again this year and time was told that they were happy to approve the upgrade and I was given my new title/'promotion'. But to my surprise, when I got the paperwork, no pay rise will be given beyond the standard pay uplift that everyone in the organisation is given in April. So it means I am treated differently from the various heads of team in the organisation and paid less than them.

I am job hunting as this is not the first time I have felt undervalued and the best outcome would be for me to move on and use my 'promotion'/new title to negotiate a better package somewhere else.

However I am also angry. I am part-time, the older member of the team and I have a disability and I have a few issues in the past with how I have been treated, especially when I had to go into hospital because of a flare-up of my condition.

What do people think about this? would you lodge an official complaint with HR?

Agree that the best outcome would be for you to use your 'promotion'/new title to negotiate a better package in a new job.

I think you have grounds for discrimination here.

You have the same job title, roles and responsibilities as the other Head of Teams and yet you are paid less.

I would be asking HR to clarify why. Is it because you’re female? Disabled? Older? There are protected characteristics that mean you should be treated the same way, so I would want, in writing, clarification as to why you’re being treated differently.

Thank you both for the feedback.

I am just hesitating to put a formal complaint but I might email HR to ask for clarification as to why there was no pay uplift so I have something in writing and then get some legal advice from ACAS or CAB once I have their reasoning behind this rather than just the word of my manager.

I get so exhausted already by having to juggle work and health issues so I am trying to avoid bringing even more stress in my life, but it just does not feel right to be treated this way...

Do you know for sure that you’re paid less than other heads of? It’s a fair assumption but you may not be correct, as you’ve said there are no bands and different jobs get paid differently.

For example, at mine it’s known that we have ‘big heads of’ and smaller ones. I’m a head of and I know for sure I’m paid less than someone else but they are in a different part of the business and their job is not at all comparable to mine in duties.

I agree it sounds like you’re best to move on though, as you’ve said you’ve felt undervalued in other ways.

Have you asked for a payrise given the new role?

1-1 with your line manager asking why no payrise. Come armed with market benchmarking to prove that you're underpaid.