Is a promotion enough without a pay rise?
Illustration of a promotion
In today’s corporate environment, promotions are widely perceived as markers of career progression and professional recognition. However, a growing trend commonly referred to as “fake promotions”.
In such cases, workers receive new titles and additional responsibilities without a corresponding increase in pay, often resulting in heavier workloads, frustration, and burnout.
One such experience is that of Donald Waweru, a videographer who has worked at an advertising company for the past three years. In 2025, following the resignation of the company’s graphic designer, Waweru was asked by his supervisor to take on graphic design duties in addition to his existing role, a request he accepted willingly.
“I agreed to do the job because I saw it as an opportunity to earn more income and also put my skills to use, since I already had the skill,” Waweru says.
However, after a month of handling the additional responsibilities, Waweru approached his supervisor to inquire about compensation for the extra work. According to him, he was informed that the payment had not yet been processed and that he should continue working.
As a result, Waweru decided to stop performing the graphic design tasks and instead focus solely on his videography role, a decision he says has strained his working relationship with his supervisor.
“I believe the company is aware of the gap, and they ought to pay me because I am doing an extra job, or they should employ a graphic designer to handle that work,” he says.
A similar experience was shared by Jane Chebet, who received a promotion that came with a new title, responsibility for managing a small team, and additional projects.
Despite the expanded role, her salary remained unchanged. When she inquired about a pay increase, she was told that salary adjustments could only be discussed during the formal review cycle.
“The experience made me feel exploited, but I chose to treat it as a learning opportunity and later leveraged the new title to pursue better-paying opportunities elsewhere,” Chebet says.
Human resource specialist Catherine Muthoni says such situations highlight the importance of transparency and clear communication in the workplace. She notes that while taking on additional responsibilities can support career growth, it should always be accompanied by clear terms and mutual agreement.
“Employers should ensure that any change in role, title, or workload is supported by open discussions on compensation and expectations,” Muthoni advises. “At the same time, employees should seek clarity and, where possible, written agreements before assuming extra duties.”
Muthoni further cautions that organizations that normalize unpaid promotions risk low morale and high staff turnover. He adds that fair compensation is not only an ethical obligation but also essential for sustaining employee motivation and productivity.
Muthoni says employees should not assess additional responsibilities solely in terms of pay, noting that non-monetary benefits such as leadership exposure, training opportunities, expanded benefits, and stronger prospects for future promotion can also be valuable.
She explains that in some cases, added duties are meant to prepare an employee for a higher role when no vacancy exists, though a formal promotion must ultimately come with a change in grade and salary.
She adds that documented acting roles can strengthen an employee’s chances when opportunities arise, both within and outside the organization, while employers benefit through succession planning and reduced recruitment costs.
However, Muthoni cautions that acting roles should not be prolonged indefinitely, noting that under Kenyan labour guidelines, such arrangements should generally not exceed six to twelve months without confirmation or advertisement of the position.
As cases of “fake promotions” continue to emerge, experts urge both employers and employees to prioritize fairness, accountability, and transparency in order to foster healthier work environments.