Feeling Stuck with a Backdated Promotion: How Can I Resolve This Designation Mix-up?

Hi, I need a solution for my issue. I got a promotion in June 2018 and received my job change confirmation letter in which the salary correction was done; however, the designation was not changed. I didn't notice that on the day I received it. I overlooked it and assumed that the confirmation statement served as a promotion and once the manager informed me that I was promoted, then everything should be fine.

However, recently I noticed that my colleague, who was promoted with me, has a different designation, i.e., from F4 to F5, but mine is still at the F4 level. When I checked with my old manager who informed me of my promotion, he confirmed that yes, I had been promoted, and for changes not being reflected on the statement, he told me to check with the current manager or HR. When I checked with HR, they replied that as per data, my designation is still at F4 and for further action, I need to check with the manager. My manager replied that it's too late to fix it; however, he asked for time to check and revert until he gets an update.

I'm worried that I have been misled with false hopes. How should I proceed with this? The only proof I have is a conversation chat history with the old manager saying that yes, I had been given a promotion. Please help.

Here, it doesn't look like you have been cheated, as your previous manager does not deny the fact that you have been promoted. This seems to be a case of miscommunication way back in 2018, where the miscommunication could have been either between your manager and your HR representative or within the HR team.

Normal Procedure for Promotion

The normal procedure for a promotion is that the manager would convey this to the HR representative, and after discussions, if there is an agreement, then the HR member advises the promotion or salary fitment team to update the change in designation or remuneration. In your case, there could have been a miscommunication where the manager may have mistakenly advised only the change in salary, thinking that with the change in salary, the promotion would be recorded as well. This can happen if a certain salary amount is tagged to a fixed band. So, there is a chance that though you are in an F4 designation, you may actually be drawing the salary of an F5 designation. This can add weight to your case that the designation needs to be corrected on a backdated basis.

Record Updating Errors

The other situation is that your previous manager may have communicated correctly to the HR team, but due to record updating errors, the correct designation may not have been updated. For this, your previous manager needs to check with the HR team on whether his inputs had been correctly recorded. Your current manager would not have much of an advantage here to push the case forward unless your previous manager provides him with any previous communication with the HR on your promotion.