Is an internal move really a promotion or just more work?

I found out from a coworker in HR that our company's last three internal hires got the same pay band as their old roles, just a fancier title. That was a surprise because the job listings for those spots showed a higher range. I got offered a lateral move to a different department last month, and I turned it down because of that detail. Has anyone else seen companies do this, or is it just my employer in Denver trying to save cash?

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rose_reed2mo ago

Three buddies of mine in Denver all took "promotions" at different companies last year and every single one got the same pay or less than their old job when you count the extra hours. I've seen this play out in retail too where a shift lead title comes with no raise but way more cleaning duties. Companies figured out people will trade time for a fancier business card and call it a win. Your HR friend just confirmed what a lot of us suspected, titles are cheap and cash is what they actually guard. Smart move turning that down, better to wait for a real bump than eat extra stress for free.

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