I work a public government position. I have been working at my current job since 2019. My boss, is fantastic (rare, I know). They are very open with how things are going and 2 years ago, they told me that they put in for my promotion. They told me that for the past year and a half that I had been going above and beyond my current position and they put in a request to have me promoted. I'm thinking, hell yeah. I'll take it. Jump forward, the time comes up where I should be promoted and they say, it has to wait. The entire company is redoing paybands and we have to wait. My pay did get an increase, which was nice as I was getting paid under the average for my profession, but I have good benefits. However I was told there was no more money in the budget to have a promotion as this was an entire update to the company as a whole. Fine, I understand. I'm making 6k less a year than if I had been promoted.
My boss then comes to me and says I want to put you on this new team. As I would be on a different team, it would be a change of position instead of promotion and they said they could make room in the budget for that. I'm thinking that's weird but okay. I'd be making more 12k than what I do now, but doing the same work just on a different project. It fell through as the team was a terrible fit and my physical health and mental health were destroyed on there. But I go back to my original position where I am now. I am told next fiscal year, I will get my promotion.
Next fiscal year arrives and I ask my boss what's up. My boss essentially says that the current lead has told everyone on the board and comittees that they should be happy with what they have. That our lead got us through COVID, that we should all thank her and asking for a promotion is ungrateful. Thankfully we have a new lead coming in later this year so maybe my promotion will finally be approved then. Almost 3 years after I was told I was getting one.