I work for a multinational IT consulting company. I was hired 3 months ago as a Workforce Manager though I had been trying to get a junior consulting position prior to that. Workplace Management wasn't panning out as it wasn't interesting to me, so I spoke to my manager about other opportunities. It turns out the parent company (I was working for one of their holdings but ultimately it's all under the same umbrella) was looking for a junior consultant in a practice for which I have many of the skills required. I told my current manager that I would only do it if I could make the same salary and if my previously approved time off to complete a master's class would also be carried over (The class requires me to take 2 half days off per week for a total of 7 weeks and I would use my vacation time). I received verbal confirmation from my boss that those conditions would be carried over to my new position without a problem.
I was asked to do an interview with the practice lead of the department I was applying for to make sure there was a fit. After a quick 5 minute discussion I was told the position is mine if I'm still interested. I told her I was interested but there were some HR issues I wanted to discuss before formally accepting. She replied saying she had to go to a meeting but assured me we would have time to talk. Two working days went by and I hadn't heard from her so I ping her again and she finally responded yesterday late afternoon. In our discussion, I bring up my desire to have my current salary and vacation approvals carried over to this new position. She suddenly went quiet before saying the salary might be something we could swing, but the vacation approvals for a university summer courses were an issue. I tell her I am already registered and I have approval with my previous manager, but she says the context is different in consulting because clients expect you to be available during their operating hours. I expressed that I wasn't happy with this but she said she would look into it and get back to me.
Immediately after our call, she reaches out to my old manager (the one who found me this gig) and expressed some hesitations with my demands. My old manager quickly comes to my desk and tells me I shouldn't make such a fuss, that this is a great opportunity for me and that I should just take it and forget about my course. I told her this isn't what she originally promised but “…well anyways, if it doesn't pan out I'll just stay in my current position”. SHe then tells me I can't because they already replaced me. So now I'm stuck. On one hand I need a job because I have a family to take care of, but on the other hand I feel like I'm being screwed over as finishing my master's is a personal objective of mine ever since I beat cancer a few years ago.
I feel as though I did everything correctly by wanting to discuss my conditions and demands early on in the process but that I was then forced out of my old position before agreeing to anything. Before I am asked, I have to mention that I have a specific timeline to complete my master's as I am doing it part time otherwise I get kicked out of the program and I am nearing that limit. Classes are only given during the day as no night courses are available. Now I am sort of floating between my old and new job with my new boss possibly not wanting to hire me because I am possibly being labeled as a difficult employee.
TLDR: Old boss finds me new job in same company. I express interest but state that I need to discuss conditions before transfering. Transfer is done before I get official approvals despite getting assurance from old boss that my conditions would be met. New boss says new conditions can't be met and now I can't backtrack.