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I work for a small company that is trying to grow for almost a year. I am in a terrible department with a horrible manager and was hoping for a new position to come available and one finally did where I am more than qualified - and each time something opens we are all encouraged to apply no matter how long we have worked there.

I met with the hiring manager and had an interview that seemed to go very positive. Two weeks go by and I'm getting anxious. I see some other employees changing positions around the company. We have a new employee handbook being released soon as part of the growth. Released tomorrow actually.

Today they tell me they implemented a new policy which says employees can't apply for a position until they have been there for a year. Today.

I applied two weeks ago and I am told I am not getting it because of a policy they put in place today.

Am I right to be frustrated? Is that really it - just. Sorry for your poor timing? Can they really do that?

I'm alright with not getting the job because I don't deserve it but I am the only person this is affecting. It didn't halt any other current processes.

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  • Not to be too pedantic, but this is a transfer policy, not a hiring policy, since you are already employed by them. I would expect more controls on a hiring policy than a transfer policy. – cdkMoose Jun 13 '17 at 7:45
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    This post doesn't really have an addressable goal and is really just venting about a difficult situation. Please see this close reason. – David K Jun 13 '17 at 15:26
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I applied two weeks ago and i am told i am not getting it because of a policy they put in place today.

Can they really do that?`

Absolutely. If it is a document signed by the acting CEO or the company owners, then unfortunately everyone has to abide by the company policy.

Im alright with not getting the job because i dont deserve it but i am the only person this is affecting. It didnt halt any other current processes.

This may be because of the effective date stated on the policy. Perhaps the others before you have had their application before the policy's effective date. Check the policy for the Effective Date, and see if yours can still be considered.

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  • It is the same date for everyone involves. 8 positions were created and everyone was encouraged to apply on the same date. 4 of them were filled and announced today. 3 by employees working in current position under a year - one who has changed position twice. This policy has yet to have been made public to the rest of the company nor has the posted position or any others been modified to say this. – Barb Jun 13 '17 at 8:22
  • The policy apparently was made effective today. I have been trying to move from this department for some time - it was not as described and management for it is completely awful. Although a probationary position existed for 90 days, i was not permitted to return to my previous position within that frame and was told to stick it out as my skills were better used where they are now. I was willing to take a 10k paycut. It seems im blocked no matter which path i take. – Barb Jun 13 '17 at 8:35
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I applied two weeks ago and I am told I am not getting it because of a policy they put in place today.

Am I right to be frustrated? Is that really it - just. Sorry for your poor timing? Can they really do that?

It's reasonable to be frustrated.

But certainly the company is free to change internal hiring policies any time they like and apply it to ongoing situations. (The only exceptions would be if this were done in order to be illegally discriminatory or if union rules were in effect. I'm assuming neither is actually the case.)

It would be reasonable for you to appeal to the hiring manager and/or HR for an exception in your case, since you were already in process when the policy change occurred. If the new manager really wants you badly enough, then you might have an ally.

But unfortunately, timing is everything and these things happen. If you can't be moved now, talk to the hiring manager and ask if you can try again at your 1-year mark.

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  • Thanks. I will have a conversation with our hr person today to start. It is just incredibly frustrating. I wouldn't have wasted any of our time on this or irritated my current manager further had this been discussed sooner. It feels very shady to me (they have often had shady hiring processes and a lot of favoritism). It seems more reasonable to make an ongoing policy then to add a new item to an already existing application that disqualifies me after such positive interviews. – Barb Jun 13 '17 at 11:46
  • And more fun, i am only two months away from the mark. Theyre now opening it external to fill it by the end of this month. – Barb Jun 13 '17 at 11:51
  • Ive been here ten years. Nearly everything they do is shady and littered with favoritism. Im not suggesting it is an unreasonable policy - but applying it only to me durring my application is. To me it says they couldnt dind any reason not to hire me so they stopped it with this. – Barb Jun 13 '17 at 13:19
  • It there was anything else in my area, i would. I have been trying for years but unless i want to go back to retail this is it. I have an insanely strict nda. And yes, they would. They make positions up all the time to keep certain people happy and fire people at the word of terrible management. Some can take weeks off with pay and some are limited to thier two weeks off. – Barb Jun 13 '17 at 13:28
  • From what you describe, @Barb, you need to learn how to handle the world of office politics as clearly you are currently losing out to people who know how to play the game. Please do some reading on office politics, this place is very political and you have to be political too in order to thrive in such an organization. – HLGEM Jun 13 '17 at 15:06

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