Promotion and back pay

Mshbs21

Hi all

hoping you can help. I have recently secured a promotion - I work in the private sector. It’s been long discussed and pushed for (since Jan 2021) and I got offered a new role at a new company about half way through this year which I used as leverage. I was provided the new job description for my new role/promotion at my current company that same day, in attempt to retain me. Verbally I was told the promotion would follow shortly. However this took another 6 months for the promotion to be secured and go through. This was frustrating but only part of the issue. 

Additionally, in April 2020, we were asked to update and sign our job descriptions to more accurately match our roles and responsibilities. This was signed by my manager, myself and HR. This job description, signed off in April 2020, is the same as the job description provided by HR and my manager for my promotion. 

Do you think I have grounds to ask for backpay - as essentially I have a signed job description showing I have been doing this role since April 2020. I think I do, but if anyone has any advice on this and how to go about it, please let me know. It would be quite a substantial amount to be paid in one go (10k+). 

Thanks for any advice, much appreciated! 

Jillanddy

You can ask. You can make a case. You can't insist. 

Thrugelmir

You can raise the issue. Your employer may well have been severely impacted by the pandemic financially.  Which is why there's a reluctance on their part to address the matter. Where you placed on furlough at all? 

Sandtree

This was a discussion to be had at the time of them making a counter offer... they said it'd come through in the future and you said fine whereas you should have said you accept the timing but want it back dated when it does come through.

Ultimately you can ask but have no grounds to demand it.

Mshbs21

Hi all. Thanks for the advice so far. 

No I haven’t been put on furlough at all, in fact me and my extended team have been busier than ever (no one furloughed the whole time) and have been one of a few companies that have actually thrived during the pandemic financially (I appreciate this is a very fortunate position to be in - and for me the question to HR is more about principle and doing the right thing, than the money). 

Also, just to highlight, Absolutely nothing is changing for me in this promotion - I have no new responsibilities and will be doing exactly the same as I have been for the last year and a half (and I have the signed job description to back this up). Of course I know I can ask the question, and do wonder what they could possibly say, I’m just not sure how and how best to leverage the signed job descriptions. Surely they have some power - as it’s not just a situation where I feel like I have been doing xyz, and HR could say well that’s not in your JD. 

thanks again! 

Mshbs21

Also, I haven’t yet signed my new contract for the promotion. 

General_Grant

Mshbs21 said:

Also, I haven’t yet signed my new contract for the promotion. 

But you say you have been doing the work.  That demonstrates acceptance.

getmore4less

I got offered a new role at a new company about half way through this year which I used as leverage. I was provided the new job description for my new role/promotion at my current company that same day, in attempt to retain me.


Tell it as it is.

It took me getting another job  offer  to be considered a a valued employee with the promise of an overdue promotion ASAP.

As a loyal employee you took them at their word and stayed.

Very disappointed that this has taken over 6 months with no automatic offer of back dating the remuneration package for the promotion.

Gives them a chance to remedy the situation without having to beg,  if they don't come through review your future with the company.  

Jillanddy

I know this may appear to be a daft question, but nowhere have you specifically stated that the "promotion" came with a specified increase in pay. It came with a new job description - a job that you have now been doing for a long time without any increase in pay. "Promotion", "new job description" and "pay rise" are not remotely the same things. Did you get an actual specified new salary, and can you prove that? Or was it all a "gentleman's agreement" to look at your pay?