How Should HR Handle a Promotion Dispute When Peers Become Boss and Subordinate?

Dear seniors, two employees were working at the same level; one of them has been promoted, and the other is being asked to report to the promoted member. The employee is not accepting him as his boss, while management wants him to follow the decision.

Resolving the Issue

As an HR professional, how should we resolve this issue? The non-promoted member is a good performer as well.

Thanks,
Learner and contributor

Dear Meenu Sachdeva,

If two employees were working at the same time, and if either of them is given the promotion while the other is told to report to him, then the resistance from this person is obvious. Probably, a proper groundwork for the promotion was not prepared. The employee who was not promoted could have been informed well in advance who will be his boss in the future. This was not done, and your company has to face the resistance.

Humans are not like equipment. The ease with which we operate equipment is not the same as operating humans. They have emotions, and leadership lies in anticipating the emotional impact and taking preventive measures. This was not done.

Anyway, now the only way out is to counsel the employee who has not been promoted. Explain to him the parameters on which the promotion has been given and how the management's decision is fair. If the employee remains unamenable, then you may explore the option of changing his department.

If the employee leaves the company in a huff, then it may solve your problem and give you a sigh of relief, but it will not be without increasing the cost of employee attrition. Therefore, weigh the cost of promotion versus the cost of exit and make the decision judiciously.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Promotion and Leadership Dynamics

It is quite possible that a faster train like the Rajdhani Express will overtake slower trains. Maybe the person promoted has better leadership abilities than the non-promoted one, even though he is a very good worker. Such eventualities are very common. Indeed, as one goes up the hierarchy, there is always a possibility of a peer or even a subordinate becoming the boss. At all levels, seniority cannot be the sole basis of promotion; merit needs to be recognized and encouraged.

HR has to be sensitive to such matters, and if there is a personality clash between the two of them, it is better to make some rearrangement so that the boss-subordinate interface is avoided between them for some time.

Dear CiteHR Member Ms. Meenu,

Although your query has been answered by two of our senior moderators, there is still scope to further add that every company or establishment with an HR department must have a promotion policy. You have not referred to any such policy in your query. The mode and manner of promotion, as prescribed in the Promotion Policy, must be circulated among the employees to make them aware of their eligibility and the probabilities of promotion. Generally, promotion is vacancy-based, and the mode of promotion is selection cum suitability. In special circumstances, promotion can be granted based on other considerations depending upon the vision of the management.

It is natural that there can be one or more employees on the same level in the same department with equal seniority. However, promotion can only be given to one employee depending on the availability of the vacancy and the assessment made by the designated authority or management. Therefore, resentment or resistance demonstrated by the other officer cannot be treated as justified. The other officer can submit his application to the management citing his case and merits possessed by him, but he cannot act against the decision of the management by showing resentment or resistance. If the other employee continues to offer resistance and does not obey the orders of his superior, then management can take disciplinary action against him. This should be the last resort when counseling fails.

With best regards,

Chandra Mani Lal Srivastava
Master Consultant: Service Matters, IR & Contract Management
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy-Reasons]
[Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]
New Delhi/25.05.2022/11:34 pm

Whatever the decision of management, such decisions shall be final and binding on all employees in the company, and employees cannot question such decisions and/or resort to non-cooperation. However, an aggrieved employee can approach the HR department, and it is the duty and responsibility of the HR department to pacify them in a manner that leads to the employee finally accepting the decision of management.

The actions/reactions of a non-promoted employee are quite natural in a work environment because they are losing the freedom they were enjoying before, especially when interacting with a promoted employee. The non-promoted employee now has to follow certain protocols which they did not have to adhere to previously. Therefore, resistance on the part of the non-promoted employee is quite natural, and it is the duty of HR to convert that 'resistance' into 'support.'

In a home environment as well, if one child receives something extra, perhaps for their achievements in examinations, from their parents, the other child may feel unhappy, jealous, and show hatred towards the favored child. Parents, who understand the nature of both children, should console the child who did not receive the gift, and after a few days, such feelings will disappear from the other child's mind.

Here, in this context, HR should act like the role of a "parent."

Company policies need not be circulated to employees, but the information can be passed on to employees.