Part-time employee promoted to full-time only gets half of new paycheck, takes back his hours: ‘I’m sure the pile of broken gear will still be there waiting for me.’

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
May 17, 2025 1:00 PM EDT

Usually, when you get a promotion it comes with a higher paycheck. That's the whole point right? People work harder, so they get recognized for that work and then their employer makes it worth it for them to continue that higher level of work. Thus, you get a better employment title and a higher paycheck. Duh. However, some companies try to be shady about it and promise more money, but then push off actually paying that said higher pay for as long as possible. That is supposed to be what HR is for—to prevent companies taking advantage of their employees. 

 

And yet… HR really hardly ever does that. They are supposed to be "human" and "resourceful," and yet they are not. This Redditor had a rad manager who got him a promotion, but when it came to pay-day, the manager was on vacation and HR wanted to pretend like the high pay wasn't a thing. 

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  • This guy's manager was rad, but wasn't there. She was off on a vacation that had been planned for months. HR saw that and seemed to think that was their chance to take advantage of this employee. But they didn't know who they were messing with, because this employee really turned it back on them. See for yourself below! 

  • HUAWE
    via Unsplash+ (and Kübra Arslaner)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • "If I’m not a 'Full Time' employee…"

    I went to a "for-profit" film/photography school and was a student worker (PT) in the "equipment check-out" (think camera, audio, lighting, etc.... rental) department.
    via MatrixF6
  • My primary job was repairing damaged equipment, and I was good at it. One of the best managers I have ever had knew I was about to drop out of school in my last year because I couldn't afford it any more, so she offered
    via MatrixF6
  • me a promotion to full- time (which would allow me to take my final 6 classes at no cost (though I'd be working full-time). When she approved my promotion (which included my pay-rate doubling!) I started working full-time.
    via MatrixF6
  • After a few days, she left for a 3 week cruise (a family vacation she had been preparing over a year for. With her on PTO were now only 2 FT employees in the dept. The rest were PT student workers, and none of them did repair work.
    via MatrixF6
  • I'd been working FT for 2 weeks, and she had been on PTO for 1, when paychecks came out... Mine was 1/2 of what I was expecting. They had not raised my pay-rate.
    via MatrixF6
  • I went to HR on my lunch break to dispute/discuss, and HR was next to useless. "I'm sorry, but your promotion has not been approved yet." "These things take time." "It might go through at the end of the month (2 more weeks). "This is not personal, it's just the regulations."
    via MatrixF6
  • I didn't get mad. I didn't yell. I simply told the HR rep that I needed to think about it. So I walked around the rest of my break and thought. <Cue Malicious Compliance>
    via MatrixF6
  • After that, I went back to HR. And told them this: "For the past 2 weeks, I have been working FT, and repairing equipment at the level of a trained technician. As you have stated, my Full Time position is not yet authorized, and as such I can only work a maximum
    via MatrixF6
  • of 24 hrs per week. It's Wednesday afternoon, and I have maxed out my hours for the week. I'll be going home now. I have a dog to walk and a pool to swim in (I was house sitting for my manager. Did I say that she was awesome?). I'm
    via MatrixF6
  • not quitting. I'll be back for my regular shift next Monday, and I will be working 24 hrs/wk, at the level of a 'student worker' I'm sure the pile of broken gear will still be there waiting for me.
    via MatrixF6
  • Please understand, there is nothing personal about this... I'm simply following the employee regulations." At that point I left the campus and drove to the house, walked the dog, and had a swim. Just before 5pm I got a call: "Matt, can you come in tomorrow morning at 8am.
    via MatrixF6
  • Cheezburger Image 10505773312
    via Unsplash+ (and Clay Banks)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • We have some papers for you to fill out to finalize your promotion." Long Story Short: HR/payroll refused to put through a promotion to FT, that my manager had approved. I refused to work FT until my promotion was approved.
    via MatrixF6
  • My manager loved hearing it from HR when she got back. Edit: seems like a common question is: "Did I get the back pay?" Sadly, the answer is no, because the official promotion paperwork (contracts, employee handbook,
    via MatrixF6
  • etc...) had not been finalized and approved. ;(. But I did end up staying there for around 10 more years. Second Edit: Wow, this really blew up! Ive told this story before to people, and it's my first real post (other than comments) on Reddit.
    via MatrixF6
  • To expand on the "back pay" questions: I was paid for the hours I worked, just not at the higher rate.
    via MatrixF6
  • aldwinligaya "Please understand, there is nothing personal about this... I'm simply following the employee regulations." Love the callback here.
    via aldwinligaya
  • RedGhost3568 Curious if this was HR/Payroll being jackasses or some one higher up the ladder thinking they could pull a fast one. Well done OP. The learned day late, dollar short; cost of lost productivity from the broken gear was higher than what they owed you.
    via RedGhost3568
  • Icy_Bar_4549 HR, funnily enough, is usually neither human nor resourceful.
    via Icy_Bar_4549
  • mace30 Yup, that HR rep was full of sh. Things like this do not "take time." I worked payroll, handling time and also tracking production for staff. It was easy, since we know how many orders each person received in a given day.
    via mace30
  • When the HR VP saw that one of our top producers was in the bottom 25% of pay, she called the CEO and stated "we're giving her a raise that's going to show on the next paycheck." There was no hoopla or bulls • They were avoiding showing it on that month's budget, pure and simple.
    via mace30
  • Maybe my company structure was special. The longer I work other places, the more I realize how spoiled I was. But never let someone you and tell you it's raining. on
    via mace30

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