Federal manager lied about promotions

[Anonymous]

So I took a federal job at GS-12 back in 2010 when the job market was bad and it was my only prospect. With 15 years experience in the private sector at that point, I was overqualified but being underpaid is better than no pay.

Thanks to budget issues and sequestration, it's been easy to accept my manager's mantra that there is no money for promotions. He said it to me just last week in my mid-year performance review. This week while I'm out on vacation, a coworker emailed to inform me that there are two job postings for GS-13, open only to people within my office and only for one week. Based on the job description there are only three people, including me, who qualify. The other two each have about 10 fewer years' experience than me, but it's pretty clear they're getting promoted. My coworker friend sent me a link to the job posting, but I can't find it through USA Jobs search function.

The timing--while I'm out on vacation--makes it obvious that I'm not meant to know about it. But I'm submitting my resume just to see what will happen.

Besides the undeniable evidence that I should be looking elsewhere for employment, what recourse do I have?

[Anonymous]

None. All you can do is apply. Most jobs are only open for 5 days now anyway. Make sure you make the cert by putting some time and thought into your résumé and make sure that your answers match up with your exoerience. It's ultimately your responsibility to check usajobs or whatever your agency uses for job openings. The fact that you were on vacation when it posted could just be timing. Maybe he doesn't want to promote you but it's always free to apply and show your interest. P.S. while you're applying for this one hit submit on a few others.

[Anonymous]

This is the fed. They couldn't time that release to your vacation.

[Anonymous]

Agree with above, apply and nail it! GO GS13!!!

[Anonymous]

Your supervisor has no control over when HR finally gets their shit together and get the job posted.

[Anonymous]

Apply for it, when is the last day? Come back early from vacation if you have to be in the office

[Anonymous]

OP here. Today was the last day to apply--I just submitted.

I did consider that it's impossible for management to control the timing. In fact, I thought the openings were for two hard-to-fill positions for which there has been a desperate need for nearly a year. But neither of those can be filled from staff within our office--a requirement listed--and the duties listed in the job posting just don't match.

And I've seen strings pulled for favored staff.

Is it possible that my manager wants to promote me but chose not to say anything in the event that it couldn't happen? I don't really understand how these things work, but I'd prefer to give benefit of the doubt than believe manager is a foul liar.

As I typed this, I received notice that my application is incomplete because I haven't submitted a DD-214. That's a notice of discharge from active duty--something I don't have. Feels like this is rigged for failure.

[Anonymous]

Good luck on this and other job search endeavors.

I work at a Fortune 100 company. In my division it is IMPOSSIBLE to get promoted, to the point that they can put a higher level job post up that you qualify for and turn around and tell you there are different standards for promoting vs hiring. THe best people are leaving constantly. I can't believe I stayed 3 years.

[Anonymous]

Classification is based on the job duties, not your resume or experience (see the OPM position classification guidelines, they are extensive and detailed).

So if the work you are doing based on complexity and level of contacts in your work doesn't rise to the next level, then you're still in a GS12 position even if you could quality to do a 13 or 14's work.

If the position does meet the higher standards you can always formally review a desk audit and the result could be that it says you're doing GS13 work, so they then have to either promote you or reassign some tasks to take your position back to a 12 level. You could also theoretically have an audit say your work does not support your current grade but that sounds unlikely in this situation.

But a key concept, often not understood, is that the classification depends not on your experience or qualifications (though they can have a limited effect on certain criteria), but largely on what work you are doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your supervisor has no control over when HR finally gets their shit together and get the job posted.

This is certainly true based on my 20+ yrs. as a manager dealing with HR.

[Anonymous]

When your manager tells you there is no money for promotion for you to the next level, he is talking about your job grade ladder and the agency having money to promote employees up the ladder to the next grade.

The agency having money for two new positions (what are called "FTEs" or full time equivalents) is an entirely different process that may have begun years before you arrived. You are mixing apples and oranges. Your boss is probably telling the truth -- no money for promotions. Money for selections/new positions is a different pot of money and a different process.

[Anonymous]

If the position does meet the higher standards you can always formally review a desk audit and the result could be that it says you're doing GS13 work, so they then have to either promote you or reassign some tasks to take your position back to a 12 level. You could also theoretically have an audit say your work does not support your current grade but that sounds unlikely in this situation.

Hmm. I've never heard of this. How is a desk audit conducted? Is it just through HR, or is the manager also involved? I saw one duty in the description that I don't perform, but that's only because someone else does it (One of the people I believe will be promoted) and it's a really simple task--something an intern could do. I've certainly done work that's above and beyond my own job description, but if proving that involves asking the manager, I'm certain he'll lie.

And that would really piss me off because our PMAPS in this group are regarded as "just a formality" and something never actually reviewed or discussed. At review time, I go in and "have a conversation" about my work and at the end of it, the manager pushes a piece of paper at me and says my signature just confirms that we've had the conversation. The bullet points are basically the same as my job description--extremely vague--and I'm told "we all do work beyond the job description." But nothing in the paper is reviewed or discuseed and I don't even have a copy of it.

So should I be disputing that practice? I have at least two other coworkers who have expressed their anger that they're not getting the review they deserve based on the extra work that they do, and they're signing a piece of paper that they don't even get to review and discuss first.

I've heard rumors that supervisors in our group are getting reward and promotion based on this "extra work" that underlings are doing while the underlings remain at the same level for years and years. If I could prove that, where would I take it? In fact, there's a lot of managerial abuse at this agency. I often think of it as "Lord of the Flies" because there is so much abuse but our low profile means it flies under the radar. Plenty of people have filed grievance and lost against our big parent agency, and it pretty much discourages anyone from taking action against some really egregious wrongs.

[Anonymous]

Your boss is probably telling the truth -- no money for promotions. Money for selections/new positions is a different pot of money and a different process.

Then why not tell me about those positions? The only talk we've heard--over and over--is that there is no money for anything, so don't ask.

[Anonymous]

You sound like a high-maintenance, whiny, pain-in-the-ass, bitter, and ignorant employee.

[Anonymous]

Uh it is not your managers job to tell you about promotions or jobs on USA jobs. You sound whiney and entitled. I agree you manager is right there is no money for anthing right now!