You didn’t get promoted. Now what?

A promotion was up for grabs in your office and you were sure you’d get it. You had all the right qualifications and skills, you’ve been doing the work since the previous person left and you’ve been told you’re great at your job.

So, what’s going on?
You had a discussion with your boss to help you understand why you didn’t get the promotion. But this just left you feeling more angry, frustrated and confused.

This may be because your boss doesn’t want to be the bearer of bad news. They don’t want to tell you where your skills are lacking and where you need improvement. But by doing this they are doing you a disservice. Without knowing this there is no way you can improve your skills and develop the competencies your boss is looking for.

Your boss should treat you fairly
You deserve to be treated fairly by your boss. In fact, the Constitution of South Africa provides everyone the right to fair labour practices. This means the relationship you have with your employer must be fair at all times. You, as the employee, enjoys protection against unfair treatment by your employer in terms of the Labour Relations Act.

This means that if you deserved the promotion, you should have be promoted. If you feel you have the necessary skills and that you have been treated unfairly by your boss, you can go to the CCMA or the relevant Bargaining Council to learn more. It may be a good idea for you to have legal expenses insurance to ensure you’re covered in case of difficult times.

Before you start this process, it is important for you to understand why you being passed over was unfair. According to the law, a promotion is considered unfair if the procedure followed by your employer is unfair. Your employer has the right to promote the person who is considered best for the job. Your boss needs to be able to give reasons for the decision to promote someone above you. Their reasons could include experience, skill and qualification. In addition, it is considered unfair if your boss breaches the company’s own promotion policy.

It is important that you know you have options if you are in need of assistance. If you think you were purposefully overlooked or cheated out of a promotion you deserved, it is essential you fight for what is yours.