I've had this great job for over a year and was promised a promotion I didn't get based on my age?

Question

Should I be looking for new work? I do love my job, and I don't work in the same office or even state as the woman that made the decision but I feel so cheated. They said at 23 I was not ready for the responsiobilty of the new job, but they didn't tell me this until after they already hired the new chick!

I'm not looking to sue or get them back. I need some advise as to whether I change my entire carreer path over this situation or not.

Answer 1

I am the owner/president of a corporation of my own, and my wife is Human Resourses Manager of a fortune 500 company. We discussed your situation, and sorry to say this, but the company probably made the right choice. I know this doesn't seem fair, and in reality it may not be. There is a lot of the puzzle here that is missing, and without knowing that information, it would be unfair to base the judgement on assumptions.
You say you have a great job, and you love your job, then for heavens sake don't go looking for something else just because you didn't get the promotion you might have deserved. Sometimes companies do things to test you, and to see how you react to certain situations, and to test your loyality to the company. To be an effective leader one must learn to roll with the punches, and take the bad with the good. If you go hunting a new job everytime things don't go your way, this screams inmaturity, and this may be exactly what they are trying to learn about you. Please don't feel cheated, and keep up your hard work and keep a positive attitude, if you expect to go places with this company. I have seen too many people thrust into positions they thought they were ready for, and ended up quitting or getting fired due to they couldn't handle the pressure of the situation. Obviously someone felt you weren't ready for this job, and if you feel you are ready, then how you look this in the eye, and handle it has everything to do with where you will end up with the company. It depends a lot on the situation too. If you were to be moved into a position that requires you to supervise other employees, then 23 might be a little young to have that position due to resentment from older employees. You may be capable of doing the job, but are you ready to take the baggage that comes along with the job? How long have you been with this company? Do you have a degree? Have you had experience in this type of job before? Have you got seniority over other qualified employees that want the job also? Would it have made any difference when they told you they had decided to hire someone else for the position? I'm not sure I can convince you the company made the right choice, but how you handle this decision may play more of a roll in the decision to move you up the ladder than you may ever know. The person that took the position may not work out, and if you showed the company you can handle the let down as well as the hurt you feel, then you may end up with the position anyway. I have seen this happen so many times. You are young, and there are many situations you haven't seen due to your age, but how you handle yourself is everything. How stable are you? You have children that would require you to be absent a lot? How many days have you been out of work in the last year? There are just too many things that you must overcome in order to be the right person for the job. Keep your chin up, do your job and then some, and show this company you are serious about moving up the ladder. Some positions even require you being yelled at some times. Are you a cocky type person that everybody can't stand, but won't tell you? At 23 you haven't been there long enough to prove yourself is probably the case. My favorite quote is; "You will never get where you really want to go, until you start heading in that direction" has so much meaning in it. Show this company what you are made of, and that you can in fact handle anything they throw at you, and you may just be supprised at how far you go in a short period of time.
I hope this will help you. Good Luck!!!

Answer 2

First, at 23 you are not in a "protected class" under the Federal Age Discrimination Act, however, check your State laws. In NJ, anyone over 18 can file an age discrimination charge.

However, you may have grounds for a sex discrimination charge, especially where "the woman" made the decision. Would be interesting to know how many women, versus men have been hire/promoted in the last 3-5 years.

I would recommend that you look at other opportunities. There is the stigma that you were "passed over", especially for a new hire who may or may not have the same qualifications as you. She certainly does not have comparable experience with the employer.

Don't be a "good soldier" now, only to regret it later.

Answer 3

Unless the promise was on paper - you're out of luck. Number one, they should have never told you that since you're 23 you were not ready for the responsibility of the position - that's a form of discrimination. What they 'legally' should have stated is that the new position had attributes of it they felt you would not qualify for. Perhaps the new person did have all of the qualifications that was required for the position. Without knowing ALL of the details - you'll never know the real reason why or why not......

Answer 4

Taranto is right. The protected age group for discrimination does not start until the age of 40. I have to agree with his advise. If you like what you do, hang in there and continue to do a good job and your time will come.

Answer 5

You can get the company for age discrimination and violation of a verbal contract. I would contact HR about that and find a new job. You don't need to be in a place that discriminates like that.

Answer 6

Contrary to what those above me think, age discrimination is not illegal in the USA unless you are over 40.

Most people don't like their jobs. If you do -- you ought to think about staying there. If your age was the only reason you didn't get the promotion -- it will eventually come.

Answer 7

They actually said that? Came right out and said it? Any witnesses? Do you have it in writing? If so, consult an attorney. That's age discrimination (in the USA) and it's illegal.

Answer 8

2 Words: Age Discrimination.
+ 1 More Word: Court
---------------------------------
= $ for the lawsuit or $ from your new raise you just earned.

I'm normally not that jumpy to sue people, but in that case I would definitely do it. That's blatant discrimination.

Answer 9

It's sounds like discrimination to me. Try to contact the ACLU to see what they think, they can help you out.